RosarioJinchuuriki
by Denim88
Summary: Naruto always knew he was a bit different for holding the Kyuubi inside him. He never imagined that he'd be considered outside of the norm for his humanity though. The one shinobi in a school full of monsters; what awaits him in Youkai Academy?
1. Shinobi Turned Student

**Disclaimer: Vampires, ninjas, and humans, oh my! I do not own Rosario + Vampire, nor do I own Naruto. Akihisa Ikeda is the owner of Rosario + Vampire, and Masashi Kishimoto is the owner of Naruto. **

**Yes...I've done it...AGAIN. Why? Because the voices don't shut up, that's why! Heheh, but no, seriously, I've been having the biggest craving to do a Naruto/Rosario+Vampire crossover lately. Who knows where this train will take us, but you can be sure that with Naruto in a school like Youkai Academy that there's going to be mayhem. Enjoy!**

**Rosario+Jinchuuriki**

**Chapter One: Shinobi Turned Student**

"What do you _mean_ I'm going to be leaving Konoha? I thought this was the safest place for me right now!"

Naruto Uzumaki, teenage shinobi of Genin status in the Hidden Leaf and container of the dreaded Kyuubi no Kitsune, gripped the edge of the village leader's desk while said village leader rubbed one of her temples to suppress the encroaching headache.

"Listen, Naruto, it's not entirely my choice here. With Jiraiya...no longer being with us...there's not many others who can bring you out of the village and keep you safe. Originally we would have sent you off with him after the incident with Hidan and Kakuzu_. _I was debating on whether or not I should let you leave again to find Sasuke. As you already know, things went a bit against our plan, and Sasuke ended up getting away..."

Tsunade, the current Hokage of Konoha, sighed as she looked to the blond in front of her, feeling anything but joyful right now. No more than four days ago Jiraiya had been killed by Pain, and now she was given this thrown at her as well.

"So you're just going to send me away while everyone else fights?! That's not fair to them! I'm the one Akatsuki's after to start with, why should I have others fight for-?"

"_Enough_ Naruto! You think I enjoy this?! Do you think I would be dumping all this on you if I had a choice? The council overrode my decision, and the majority of the clan heads voted in favor as well. Since this involves the village _security_, their votes _do_ count. I don't have power override this." Tsunade leaned back in her chair as Naruto slowly sat down, digesting the information.

"So...this...school. I have to be normal, and not use jutsu, right?"

"You can use taijutsu, sure, but being seen using ninjutsu will have people staring at you like a freak. This...world...land...I'm not even sure what to call it...well, Jiraiya said alternate dimensional plane or whatever, but the point is that the people there cannot tap into their chakra reserves like we can. Jiraiya left me with this seal to create a transportation bridge between this land and ours." The buxom woman pulled out a thick scroll, "As far as I'm aware, this scroll can work both ways, so it makes travel possible. Though, I think there was some kind of thing that you needed to use to travel to the other world. An 'automobile' or whatever. He said it was big and yellow."

Naruto looked at the scroll, already recognizing some of the fine detail work that made the seal so complex. Contrary to the majority belief, Naruto was fairly well versed in basic fuuinjutsu. As such, he was able to recognize some basic space and time characters used in sealing. He was not able to do much more than that though; the seal was way beyond his overall understanding.

"...Naruto, you hear me?"

The blond Jinchuuriki blinked before turning to Tsunade again, "Huh?"

Tsunade gave him an annoyed look, "I said, tomorrow we'll have this seal ready outside the front gate. I want you to pack everything you may need for a several year stay at this school."

"Several years??" Naruto repeated, "How long are we talking here???"

"Possibly three years, if not more."

Silence. Tsunade looked to see the boy before her go absolutely silent, his eyes staring at her disbelievingly. She pursed her lips a bit, "Naruto..."

"Three years...or more? Th-that's crazy! I was already gone for three years with Ero-sennin!" He started raising his voice, "You want me to go to some school in a place that can only be reached by some super-complex teleportation seal that Ero-sennin made, and you can't even tell me where it is on a map?! This is _crazy_!!!"

Tsunade stood up straight, and grabbed the blond by the collar, "Naruto Uzumaki, listen now, and listen well! I am _not_ leaving this up to discussion, do you understand me?!"

Naruto glared at her defiantly, "Yes."

She dropped her glare, "Look..." She sighed as she let go of the boy, "I'm going to allow visitors to see you twice a year, so it won't be like you're going to be completely cut off from us. I met the person in charge of this 'Youkai Academy', and they said that they will do what they can to meet your special accommodations. Apparently they had Jiraiya do a favor years back for them, and wish to repay it."

"Oh." Naruto wasn't really listening after she said that someone could visit. He was still mulling over how he'd have to start over at some weird and parallel world, or so it was called. He remembered hearing of this stuff in fantasy books and the like, but he never thought such places were real.

"I'm going to give you twelve hours to gather your things, okay? In that time, get your gear packed, say your goodbyes, and get some rest. The bus will be here at seven in the morning."

Naruto gave a nod, and left the office without a word.

Tsunade sighed as she rummaged through a drawer in her desk. Pulling out her sake bottle she kept hidden from Shizune, she eyed over the small bottle of alcohol before putting it back in the drawer. No, she couldn't let herself drown in that stuff tonight. She'd have to say goodbye to Naruto first thing in the morning, and having a hangover wouldn't help.

* * *

"So...you're leaving again?"

Naruto couldn't even look her in the eye as he spoke, "Yeah. I didn't want to tell anyone. I figured Baa-chan would just make up a story for me so no one would be worried."

Sakura Haruno wasn't happy to hear that her dear friend and teammate was leaving for some world that she wouldn't even be able to go and visit by normal means, "Well, if it's for your safety, then I guess I can understand."

"Yeah..."

"Are you going to tell Kakashi-sensei?"

Naruto shook his head, "Chances are that he already knows. He's an elite Jounin, after all. He probably was informed before I was on this. He always had a way of finding out these things."

"True." Sakura replied weakly, "Three or more years. I just hope that you'll be okay."

The blond shrugged, "I'll make it. I just need to pretend to be a regular civilian. No trouble. I'll just have to make up some story or something. Baa-chan says this school has a few quirks to it that are weird, even for this alternate world's standards."

"Well, either way..." Sakura gripped Naruto's hand lightly as the two sat on the railing of the bridge where they had met so many times before, "We'll miss you. All of us."

"Yeah. I'll miss you guys too." Naruto replied sadly, "I don't think I'll be able to make friends with any of the kids at this school."

Sakura sensed his mood taking a turn for the worse. She smiled a little and attempted to change the subject, "Looks like you'll have to study again, heheh."

Naruto's eyes widened, "Oh no. You mean I'm going to be doing math and history? Aw crap!" He groaned as he buried his head in his hands, "Why me?"

Sakura giggled as she patted Naruto's shoulders sympathetically, "Don't worry. You won't have any ninja stuff to get in the way. Who knows, maybe you'll be able to teach me a few things when you return!"

Naruto smiled as he looked up to the rosette, "Yeah. Maybe I will."

Sakura and Naruto parted after that. The kunoichi gave Naruto a hug while trying her best not to sound too sad. The blond had wormed his way into her life, even during his absence with Jiraiya, she had thought about him. Too her, Naruto was a beacon of hope for her. He had been the one to go above and beyond the call and try and save Sasuke. He had been the one to comfort her when Team Seven was torn asunder by Sasuke's betrayal. He had been one of the few constants in her life, and a wonderful and true friend.

Now he was leaving, and this time no communication methods outside of space and time manipulation would be able to reach him.

As she watched the blond head down the road to his apartment, likely to get the rest of his belongings packed and get some sleep, she couldn't help but wonder how one individual was able to take so much and endure. She wanted to call out to him and comfort him, let him know that no matter what, she'd always be willing to help him. She'd always be willing to be a shoulder for him when he had no one else to console in.

She never did though. Why? She wasn't sure. Maybe, she thought, if she didn't, it would be easier for him to leave. The less of a connection he had here, the less it would hurt for him to leave the village.

Heading back to her own home, she thought about these things. She'd be up early tomorrow so that she could see him off with Tsunade-sama and anyone else who knew of his departure. After all, even Naruto himself wasn't sure how long he would be gone. Who knew when she would see him next.

* * *

The following morning came with the first rays of sun for Naruto. He groaned a bit before attempting to turn of his alarm clock. After several attempts, all which resulted in missing the clock completely, he managed to grab a hold of the damned contraption and fling it across his bedroom, followed by the pleasant sound of it hitting the wall and breaking.

He forced himself to a sitting position, and smacked his lips a few times while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He stood up, and took a quick survey of his room.

It was completely barren. Not that he had much to begin with, but most of it was packed away in several storage scrolls. The apartment was, for the most part, empty.

Standing up, he picked up a scroll he left on the floor, and unrolled it. Looking to his bed, he made a few hand seals before it too disappeared into the scroll. He grabbed a towel and a bar of soap and headed towards the bathroom for a shower. He finished cleaning himself within five minutes, and was dressed in the green uniform that Tsunade had given him yesterday, claiming it to be a school uniform.

"Ugh, I'm already getting a bad feeling about this place." Naruto commented as he looked at himself through the reflection in his window. Green. Not a spot of orange on it. Horrible fashion sense on the school's part.

He tucked away the last of his storage scrolls, and put them in his travel pack. Whatever he didn't need once he got to school would be kept safely inside the rolled pieces of paper. He took one last look at his room before closing the door and locking it.

He was at the village gates within ten minutes time, and was surprised to see Sakura, Yamato, Sai, and Kakashi waiting there with Tsunade and Shizune. He felt his chest tighten when he saw that both Kakashi and Tsunade had packages wrapped in paper with ribbons.

"Hey." Naruto said, giving the group a smile, "I guess it's almost time for me to go."

Tsunade gave him a weak smile, "Yes, but we wanted to see you off first. Here." She handed him the package in her arms, "It's...got a few things I want you to open later when you're all settled in at the academy. There's also a gift from Shizune and I. Think of it as an early birthday gift from the two of us."

Naruto grinned, "You didn't have to do that for me."

Tsunade just laughed, "Please, I'm practically your grandmother. Think of it as an obligation of family members, heheh."

Shizune, who was biting her lip a little, walked towards Naruto. The blond was surprised when she pulled him into a hug, "You stay safe, Naruto. Promise us that you'll take care of yourself, okay?"

"Uh..." Naruto blinked, surprised by the usually timid medic-nin's sudden actions, "Of course, Shizune-neechan."

She sniffled a bit before pulling away, "Good."

Sakura was tearing up as well, but she was also smiling, "Baka..." She pulled him into a hug as well, "I don't think I need to repeat myself for Shizune, so just make sure you don't get into too much trouble. I'll find out if you do."

Naruto laughed, "Right, Sakura-chan." He returned her hug and spoke, "Keep getting stronger while I'm gone. Konoha's going to need that freakish strength of yours in the future."

"I'll pretend you didn't just call my strength freakish," She laughed, "I'll keep Konoha safe while you're away. I promise."

Naruto eventually let go of his teammate, and looked to Kakashi. The silver haired Jounin had a smile on his face, though Naruto could only tell because of the subtle closing of his one visible eye, "Alright, Naruto, there's a gift from Sakura and I, and one from Yamato and Sai. You can open it now if you want."

Naruto took the parcel from his one-time sensei, and peeled away the wrapping paper. His eyes widened when he saw the contents within the box, "Kakashi-sensei?"

Naruto held in his hands a fairly large book. It was labeled, 'Advanced Techniques of Konoha' and had the kanji for the five elements on the cover. That wasn't what made him tear up though. There was also a framed picture of Team Kakashi taken a day after Naruto had come back from his training with Jiraiya. Sakura and Naruto stood in front of Kakashi while he had a hand resting on either of their shoulders. The three were all smiling like it was going out of style, and it had been taken at training ground seven.

"Thanks..." Naruto spoke, unable to say more.

Yamato smiled, "That book is for Chunin to Jounin-level shinobi, so I think you'll have your homework cut out for you if you want to learn any techniques from it."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "I thought I wasn't allowed to do any training while I'm away aside from taijutsu."

Tsunade smirked, "I said you can't be _seen_ using anything other than taijutsu. I never said anything against training in secret."

"Oh." Naruto scratched his head, a bit embarrassed for not realizing that sooner. He had been so bummed out with not being able to use chakra outside of hand to hand.

Naruto looked to the one person who hadn't said anything since he arrived. Sai had a confused look on his face, and wasn't meeting Naruto's eyes.

"What's wrong, Sai?" Naruto asked with a grin.

"I'm...not sure what to do in this kind of situation. I never got to the part in the book that talks about saying goodbye to friends who you won't see for a long time."

Naruto just laughed, and extended his hand. Sai looked to the open palm, and then to Naruto before smiling and taking his hand and shaking it.

"Keep working on your social skills, Sai." Naruto joked, "I'll be back someday. I promise."

"I'll hold you to that, then." Sai replied.

The two were interrupted by the sound of a dull hum. They looked to see a large seal light up in front of the road that lead out of the village. The light grew brighter while the humming grew fainter before a sudden flash of light blinded the group temporarily.

"They're here already?" Tsunade asked. She had set the seal outside the gate no more than ten minutes ago. She hadn't expected Naruto's ride to be here for another fifteen minutes or so.

The sound of a low rumbling could be heard, and the group turned to see a giant metal..._thing_ on wheels heading towards the gate entrance as it rolled through what looked like a portal of white light. It stopped with a hiss, and what appeared to be a door into the massive contraption opened.

"Is that a train?" Naruto asked. He'd seen trains before, even a crane when he was in Wave protecting the bridge. This was different though. He had never seen such a weird looking machine before.

"That's a 'bus', I think." Tsunade spoke, "It's earlier than I expected."

Naruto looked to the group of friends, and gave a wave goodbye to them, "I guess I'll be seeing you all later..."

Tsunade took a few steps forward, and wrapped her arms around the boy, "Bye, Naruto. Maybe when you come back you'll be ready to take over for me."

"You bet." Naruto chuckled, despite the tears pricking his eyes, "I'll miss you, Baa-chan."

"Not as much I'll miss you." She replied. She held him a bit longer before placing a kiss on his forehead and then brushing away a few tears, "Gah, I'm getting too soft."

"Heheh, that's because you're old." the Jinchuuriki joked. That earned him a light swat on the head, followed by another hug and a demand for him to promise to be safe. Naruto again promised that he would take care of himself, and that he would do his best.

Tsunade didn't seem to be ready to let go though. She held him a little tighter as she spoke, "If you ever run into trouble, send a toad to me, okay? I promise I'll do everything I can to help if-"

"Baa-chan, I'll be okay, yeesh."

"I mean it..." Tsunade continued, "I'd hate to lose you too. You're the most important man in my life right now, Naruto." She gripped his shirt tightly, "I...I know you said so already, but...promise me one more time that you'll take care of yourself."

Naruto smiled a bit as he sighed, "I promise, Baa-chan."

Tsunade smiled a bit, "Good...." She slowly let go, tears in her eyes.

As Naruto headed towards the bus, the six shinobi all waved goodbye. The bus drove off with a rumble, a small cloud of gas escaping from the muffler as it turned back into the portal and disappeared with a flash of light. The seal hummed a few times before fading away, the scroll rolling back up in the process.

Tsunade picked up the dimensional travel scroll, and held it close to her, _"We'll miss you, gaki."

* * *

_

Tsukune Aono had been a bit confused when the bus driver—whom was already disturbing enough by himself—said they needed to make a quick stop to a nearby town to pick up another new student. The boy was relieved when he heard that he wouldn't be traveling alone to Youkai Academy.

When a bright light suddenly shined all around the bus, Tsukune was worried that something bad had happened. He recalled that they had driven through a tunnel, but he didn't expect to have his eyes assaulted by a blinding flash.

When he finally regained his vision, he found they were in a forested area. A giant wooden gate stood before the bus. It looked to be something from a few centuries ago. He noted a small group of people were standing at the gate's entrance, and that a blond haired boy in the same school uniform that he wore was heading towards the bus.

As the blond entered the vehicle, he noticed that the boy was continually looking towards the people that he had been saying goodbye to. He was frowning, and looked anything but happy to be leaving.

_"Must be from a small town. Probably not happy with the idea of leaving his family."_ Tsukune thought. When the boy finally looked for a spot to sit on the bus, Tsukune waved to him. Naruto seemed to look him over before smiling a little and taking a spot across from him.

"Hi. I'm Tsukune Aono."

Naruto gave a nod to the boy, "Naruto Uzumaki. Um..." He looked at the bus a bit before speaking again, "So...any idea where this 'bus' is taking us?"

"No clue. I never heard of Youkai Academy before. You?"

"Nope. As far as I know, we could be heading towards the northern regions of Kumogakure."

Tsukune's head tilted to the side, "Huh? Kumo...gakure?"

"Er..." Naruto laughed, "Heheh, sorry, it's a small little village north of where I live. Lots of mountains, not much else, hehehe."

Tsukune gave a look of understanding, "Oh! Heheh, okay. So, how did you get into this place?"

Naruto wanted to say that it was because he had a demon inside of him and needed a safe haven from a bunch of powerful criminals who were after him, but he recalled the excuse Tsunade told him to use, "Oh, well, I heard this place has a good program, and I figured I'd give it a look. It was either that or I go and work as a farmer. My grandma says I need to get out and see the world."

"Ugh, I hear you. I flunked the high school exams, but somehow this place let me in." Tsukune gave a sigh, "I just hope it won't be too awkward getting adjusted to this place. I've never lived on my own before."

"Eh, you get used to it." Naruto said absentmindedly.

"You lived on your own?"

Naruto realized his little slip, "Y-yeah, I um, well, my grandmother lives in a nursing home, and I'm an orphan. I visit her a lot, though, so it's all good."

"So, were the rest of those people friends of yours?"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, a few classmates and old teachers. They're staying home."

Tsukune grinned, "Wow, you sound like you live in a pretty isolated area."

"You could say that." Naruto laughed a little. This Tsukune guy seemed alright. Nothing extraordinary about him as far as first impressions go. Apparently Tsukune's parents were set on him going to a high school, and he had no other options but this academy.

The trip went by quickly with the two boys keeping each other company. Eventually they drove through a rather long tunnel. After they reached the end of the massive road underneath a large hillside and came to a stop, they looked outside to see...

"Holy crap, where the hell are we?" Naruto asked, looking to the blood red skies, "This looks like something out of one of those horror movies that Ero-sennin took me to."

Tsukune was having similar thoughts, "M-maybe we're just stopping for a rest?"

"Alright, boys. Here's your stop...heheh. Better be careful, Youkai Academy is a veeery scary place, heheheheh...."

The ominous laughter of the bus driver did not help the duo feel any better about the place. As the bus drove off, the two boys dropped their bags and took in the dreary scenery.

"Not a single one of these trees has leaves on them." Naruto noted, "What kind of messed up place is this?"

Tsukune didn't seem to have an answer, "I think they've made a mistake!! We can't possibly be at the right place. I mean, this is the kind of stuff you hear about only in ghost stories and such!"

Naruto reached into a pocket of his school uniform, holding tightly to a kunai he had stashed away _just in case_ something bad happened. The rest of his weapons were stored into scrolls that he didn't have immediate access to, "Tsukune...I think we-"

"Gyaaaaah! Coming through!!!"

Naruto instinctively jumped to the side and rolled just in time to see a girl on a bike crash into Tsukune. Part of the blond felt bad for jumping away and not helping Tsukune out back there, but...well, sometimes shinobi reflexes just did that to a person.

Naruto ran over to the pair, "Are you two alright?"

Tsukune rubbed his head where a nasty gash could be seen, a little blood trickling down his forehead., "Yeah, but my head is really hurting right now."

The girl let out a gasp, "Oh, you've been hurt!" She reached into a pocket and pulled out a cloth, "I'm sorry for not seeing you. I'm anemic, and my eyesight goes fuzzy some...times..." She sniffed around Tsukune a bit before letting out a tiny breath, "Oh...that smell..."

"Huh?" Tsukune asked, his face turning red as the girl leaned in closer to him.

"Your blood...it smells so wonderful."

"Wh-what are you-?"

"I'm sorry, but when I smell blood like this...I can't keep myself under control..." the girl continued, drawing even nearer. Naruto, who was watching this whole scene unfold, was unsure whether he should get the girl away from Tsukune or give the two some space and leave. He banked on the third option of just watching quietly.

"...you see..." the girl went on, nearing his neck, "I'm a vampire."

The girl, who Naruto noted had beautiful pink hair, not unlike Sakura's bit down on Tsukune's neck and began to suck on the boy's neck.

Tsukune was freaking out while flailing his arms wildly. Naruto had taken a step back, kunai drawn but just as unsure of what to do as the dark haired boy was being drained of blood.

Eventually, the girl drew away from Tsukune, licking her lips in a cute manner while Tsukune had managed to get up, rambling on about being bitten by a vampire and monsters and what not.

"Wait, wait, wait!!! What...??!!" Naruto asked, seeing as Tsukune was still a bit delirious from just having his blood drained from him, "Y-you mean you're a vampire? Like, live in a coffin, turn into a bat, and hate garlic and crosses vampire?!!"

The girl smiled a little, "Yes, I am...well, I don't like garlic, but it's not like it's harmful or anything. I prefer sleeping in a bed, not a coffin...and I don't hate crosses. I wear a rosary, in fact." She explained, pointing to the rosary on her neck. She then turned to Tsukune, who had managed to settle down a bit, "Thanks for the wonderful treat! It was really tasty!"

"...um...you're welcome?" Tsukune managed to say, "S-so...uh...?"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" the girl apologized, "I'm Moka Akashiya!"

"Tsukune Aono..."

Naruto, who had tucked his kunai away, nodded, "Naruto Uzumaki..." He looked to see Tsukune was staring at the girl with glossy eyes. He couldn't really blame him; the girl _was_ cute. Incredibly cute.

A minute or two later after Tsukune got both the bite wound and gash on his head cleaned up and bandaged, the three made their way towards the giant mansion that looked to be straight out of a horror flick.

"So...you hate my kind, don't you?"

Tsukune and Naruto both looked to Moka, "Huh?"

"Vampires, I mean. You hate them, right?"

Naruto and Tsukune both looked to each other before forcing out laughs, "Heheh, what gave you that idea?!"

Tsukune nodded, "Y-yeah, I mean, vampires are pretty unique, so why would we possibly hate them, ehehehe..."

"Oh, that's great!" Moka beamed, her eyes shining in a way that had the two boys feeling weak at the knees, "If it's not a problem, can we be friends then?"

Naruto grinned, _"Vampire or not, she seems like a sweet girl. I don't think I'd have the heart to tell her no...then again, maybe she's just a little nuts in the head and thinks she's a vampire...probably best if I don't bring it up again. She could have rabies or something..."_

Tsukune nodded while laughing nervously, "Yeah, of course we can."

The three made their way into the school, parting to find their home rooms. Naruto strolled the halls, looking for his designated room. When he managed to find it, he walked in, only to see Tsukune in seated among the desks.

Naruto grinned, "Tsukune, hey!"

The dark haired boy looked up, and waved, "Naruto? Looks like we have the same homeroom! Neat!"

Naruto took an open seat to the boy's left, waiting for the rest of the classroom to fill up. The two chatted about the rather odd school. As far as the two saw it, having graveyards around the campus of a school was quite taboo. Naruto knew some cultures honored their long deceased ancestors...but there had to be a line being crossed here with burying them out in the front of the school!

The room was soon full of chatting students when the teacher walked in. The spectacled blond woman smiled brightly before speaking, "Hello, everyone! Welcome to Youkai Academy; I'm your home room teacher, Shizuka Nekonome! Pleased to meet all of you!"

_"She seems nice. Maybe this won't be so bad...I mean, if Tsukune's here, then at least I'll know a few students here."_ Naruto thought to himself.

"Now, even though you all already know this, Youkai Academy is a school for monsters to attend!" Nekonome continued.

The look on the faces of Naruto and Tsukune would have been perfect for a freeze frame shot to put on a card later. Naruto's face had become something between a grin and a silent scream while Tsukune simply went slack-jawed with his right eye twitching a little.

"You see, the current situation with Earth is that the humans have gained control of it. As such, we must peacefully coexist with them if we wish to continue to survive. This school will therefore help all of you learn how to do as such and live peacefully along with humans!" Nekonome chirped, pointing at a diagram she had drawn on the board showing a circle labeled Earth with humans on it, and the words coexistence circled numerous times. She looked forward again before going on, "Oh, also, the school rules state that you are all to remain in your human forms to properly disguise yourselves. At no time are you to reveal your identities to other students."

_"Monsters? Monsters???" _Naruto looked around the room, fingers over his jacket pocket where he kept a few kunai, _"So...I'm completely surrounded...by monsters? Seriously???"_

_ "What??? Monsters? What is she talking about? What does she mean by 'monsters'?"_ Tsukune thought as he looked around the classroom. He eyed Naruto, only to see that the blond wasn't fairing much better. He was huddled up a bit, but Tsukune could tell that his fellow classmate was just as uninformed about this information.

"Hey, teacher, why don't we just eat all the humans instead of bothering with this coexistence crap?" spoke a tall, rather burly looking male student in front of the two, "Well, maybe with the women we could..." He didn't finish his sentence, instead licking his lips a bit while a few of the other males laughed and the women in the classroom gave disgusted looks.

"Sick bastard..."

The large male turned around while glaring daggers at Naruto, "You say something, _punk_?"

Naruto didn't flinch, "Yeah, I didn't stutter, did I?"

"Do you know who you're talking to? I don't think you do, you little twerp!" The male student stood up and looked to him, "I'm Saizou Komiya, and if you know what's good for you, then you'll shut up and-"

"Please stop! Let's not have a fight on our first day here!" Nekonome spoke out, her face etched with worry. Even if she was the teacher, she didn't really believe she'd have the power to break up a fight between the two boys. The last thing she wanted was someone to get hurt right off the bat.

Naruto and Saizou both looked forward before Saizou let out a growl and sat back down, still glaring at the blond the whole time.

"Right..." Nekonome sighed a bit before going on, "On the topic of humans, there are actually no humans on campus. If there were any humans with knowledge of this place, then they would receive death as punishment for discovering this secret and sacred realm!"

Tsukune was feeling a bit faint right now. He was just about ready to try and break up a fight between Naruto and some gigantic guy. Luckily, Nekonome managed to get a hold of things before they escalated.

"Oh...is this the right classroom?"

The class turned towards the door, and the majority of the male students all let out gasps, cat calls, whistles, or howls as Moka Akashiya walked in. She looked around a bit before spotting Tsukune and Naruto.

"Tsukune! Naruto!" She walked over to the two, and hugged Tsukune before taking a seat next to him. She leaned forward to wave to Naruto, who waved back as well, a cheesy grin on his face.

"Who the hell do those two think they are?"

"She's so beautiful! Why do _they_ get to be treated so nicely???"

The two boys could feel killer intent being aimed towards them as the boys in the room grumbled about not receiving affections from Moka.

* * *

When Nekonome dismissed them for the day to get to know the campus better, the trio set about the halls, following Moka the whole while. The vampire girl was quite joyful, they noted. She seemed so happy just to be with the two. Naruto noted, however, that her arm was continually holding Tsukune's. He didn't get jealous though. He could tell that it wasn't his business. He hardly knew the girl, anyway. He was just glad the two were friendly to him.

"Naruto, what do you think of this place so far?" Moka asked as she was practically dragging Tsukune by the hand as the boy struggled to keep up.

"Huh?" Naruto tapped his chin, "Um...it's definitely different from what I'm used to..."

Tsukune laughed, "Yeah, it's different alright..."

The two continued down the halls a bit before a figure stepped out in front of them. Naruto looked to see none other than Saizou standing before them, a smug grin on his face.

"Hey there," Saizou said, his grin directed to Moka, "You must be Moka Akashiya. I'm Saizou Komiya."

"Uh...h-hi?" Moka spoke, waving a little.

"So..." Saizou suddenly picked Tsukune up by the collar, glancing at him for a moment before tossing him aside, "What's a beautiful girl like you doing hanging out with worthless chumps like these two?" He gave Naruto a smirk before looking back to the girl.

"Ah, well, N-Naruto and Tsukune-kun aren't worthless..."

"You should be spending time with a guy like me! I'm _much_ more fun to hang out with than these two could ever hope to be. What do you say?"

"Um..." Moka looked to Tsukune and Naruto before shaking her head, "No thanks, but I'm having fun with them right now."

"You shouldn't waste time on-"

Naruto was before Saizou in an instant. The hulking teen blinked before looking down at the blond, "Huh? What do _you_ want?"

"Moka just told you she'd rather spend time with us." Naruto spoke, looking up to the man, not flinching as Saizou leered at him, "Don't start harassing her about it, Saizou..."

Moka helped Tsukune up, and tugged on Naruto's uniform, "L-let's go, Naruto, okay?"

Naruto nodded, "Alright, Moka." He turned around to follow the rosette and Tsukune, but not before shooting Saizou a look clearly warning him to back off.

Saizou growled a bit before looking to Moka again. His frown soon became a smile though. He chuckled deeply. There was no way he would allow such a lovely young girl to escape his grasp. Not if he could help it.

* * *

Naruto and Tsukune had lunch with Moka before they left to go to their dorms. Naruto and Tsukune found that the theme of tombstones, dead trees, and the ever-present feeling of cliché horror film continued with the students' homes.

"I'm not sure that it's right to bury your dead in the front of a living hall." Tsukune spoke in a hushed tone, "You ever hear of this before, Naruto?"

"No. Our dead our usually burned or buried in a cemetery in our village."

"So..." Tsukune began as he looked down the hall, "You think this monster stuff that our teacher was going on about is possibly true?"

Naruto shook his head, "I-I really don't know. I mean, it makes sense, _in a way_. Moka biting you and saying she's a _vampire_..."

"Well..." Tsukune looked around a second time, "I'm a human."

Naruto's eyes widened before he smiled, a look of relief on his face, "Seriously? Oh, good! I was worried for a minute that if I was alone here..." he paused while assuming a confused look, "I wonder if Baa-chan knew about this..."

"So, you're human too?" Tsukune asked tentatively.

Naruto gave a quick nod, "Yep, just a human being. Not a single bit of vampire or troll or whatever in me..." He scratched his head a bit, "I still don't understand why she would send me here if she knew the risk I was being put in."

"Hmm. My dad just said he found a pamphlet for this school by pure chance. He said that some creepy guy walking by dropped it." Tsukune tapped his chin, "Not really a good choice on his part."

"So...what do we do? We're not monsters..." Naruto asked. Well, _he_ wasn't a monster, but he did hold a demon within him. He had long come to grips with the Kyuubi being a part of him. He was a Jinchuuriki; a _human_ with a demon inside him.

"I don't know. I don't want to get caught." Tsukune spoke, "I mean, just imagine what would happen if we get found out."

Naruto gave a nod of agreement, "Yeah. I'm not too thrilled about the idea of being killed for finding out about this place."

"I think I may give the school a withdrawal notice." Tsukune stated quietly.

"Eh? Really?"

"Yeah. This place isn't for me to begin with..." Tsukune looked to Naruto, "You should do the same."

"Well, I can't. I have...different circumstances, I guess."

Tsukune decided to not pry, "Oh..." Thinking about it made him think about Moka. He hardly knew the girl, but something about her just drew the boy to her. He wasn't sure what, but it was bothering him. Not only that, but Naruto was a genuinely cool guy from what he'd taken in. Maybe he'd give this place a day before deciding to leave. Maybe the monster thing was just a weird little prank to play on the first year students? He shrugged his shoulders, "I guess I can trust you enough, but you're not going to tell anyone that I'm human, are you?"

Naruto smiled, "Only if you promise not to tell on me as well."

"Sure."

"Awesome." Naruto gave the boy a nod, "So, what should we do now?"

"I don't know..." Tsukune responded with uncertainty, "I mean, we can probably just pretend to be monsters. I mean, technically no one can reveal their 'true identities', right?"

"Yeah, that's true." Naruto could pull this off. He was a shinobi, after all. Deception was a key element to being a ninja. Naruto preferred being upfront about things, but this was something different. This wasn't a normal mission. This was something that would insure he wouldn't be found by Akatsuki. He _had_ to blend in.

* * *

Tsukune and Naruto ended up finding their rooms in the dorm to be only a short distance from each other within the same wing. Naruto took the key to his room and unlocked his door. Dumping his backpack, he took in the condition of his room, and gave an approving nod, "At least there's no spiderwebs or anything like that."

The blond decided to go for a stroll through the campus to get a good look at the place. After all, he wanted to find out where he could train without being seen, and to do so meant knowing where all the public buildings were located.

He was strolling through by a randomly placed cemetery when he heard something. Stopping, he listened and tried to make out the sound. A voice? Somewhere further in the cemetery. It sounded like crying.

He headed towards what sounded like a girl crying. About a minute's worth of walking found him stopping near a small clearing in a wooded area bordering the cemetery. He looked, and sure enough it was a girl crying. She appeared to be holding her ankle, and looked to be in mild pain.

"Um...are you okay?" Naruto called out. The girl let out a gasp as she turned towards Naruto.

The girl looked up, her eyes wide as she took in the boy before her. Naruto noted that she had the faintest hue of purple in her irises as she made eye contact with him. Her hair was a bright blue, and she wore a yellow sweater vest over the standard school undershirt. Among other things, her physical figure was clearly like that of a certain Godaime Hokage; very well endowed.

Her eyes lit up, "Oh! You scared me! I-I was just walking around, and I tripped over a root. I think I sprained my ankle. D-do you think you could help me?"

Naruto felt himself becoming entranced as her eyes met with his, "Um...y-yeah, I suppose. I'm new here, though, so I'm not too familiar with the campus."

The girl smiled, "Hehe, I guess that makes two of us." She got up and took his hand, "I'm Kurumu Kurono."

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki." He grinned, "I think I know the way out of here, so just stay with me."Helping her up gently, he helped her walk out of the woods. He had insisted on carrying her, but she waved a hand, assuring him she was capable of using at least one of her feet. Sure enough, in only a minute's time the two were leaving the woods and heading towards campus.

"Say, um, Kurumu, what were you doing out in the woods anyway?"

Kurumu looked to the blond while smiling, "Oh, I just wanted to get some fresh air. That's all." Her smiled dropped a bit, "I guess I wasn't paying attention..."

"Oh." Naruto noted that she had somehow managed to slip both her arms around his, "So, um...what do you think of the Academy so far?"

"Oh, I love it here! All the boys are so nice to me. It's hard to be popular though." She giggled, "None of them have ever helped me like you though. It's really sweet of you." She winked cutely while Naruto felt his face flush a little while he sported his trademark grin.

"Heheheh, I'm just helping someone in need. Think nothing of it."

* * *

The two managed to get Kurumu to the nurses office near the campus. After waiting for about ten minutes, the girl walked out of the office with a pair of crutches.

"So, how bad is it?" Naruto asked as she walked over to him.

She smiled, "It's not serious. Just a minor sprain; I should be able to walk in a few days as long as I take it easy on the foot."

"That's good." Naruto sighed, "So, I guess I'll be seeing you around?"

Kurumu nodded, "Yeah. It was nice meeting you, Naruto-kun."

The girl walked down the road back to the girls' dorms, Naruto watching her for a short while before making his way back to his own dorm.

_"Wow, she sure is pretty..."_ Naruto thought,_ "I almost felt like I was in a genjutsu when I was looking into her eyes."_

Shaking his head and chuckling, Naruto reminded himself that these students weren't ninja. Monsters...well, he wasn't sure on that, but he remembered Tsunade stating that the students here didn't use chakra like he did.

Keeping that in mind, Naruto headed up the stairs to his floor. Maybe this place wasn't so bad. He'd just have to see after classes started what this place would be like for him.

As Naruto neared his room, he saw that Tsukune's door was open. He knocked on the open door, and Tsukune, who was sitting on his bed with a paper in his hand, looked up.

"Hey, Naruto." Tsukune greeted glumly.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "What's up, Tsukune?"

Tsukune placed the paper on top of the dresser by his bed, "I'm thinking of filling this out."

Naruto frowned, "Really?" The blond looked to the paper on the dresser labeled 'Withdrawal Notification'.

"Yeah. I think I'll be safer if I'm not here. I ran into Moka, and she told me a bit more about her being a vampire. Apparently that rosary around her neck seals away her true form. She says her true form is really scary and evil...though I think she was joking with the evil part."

Naruto laughed a bit, "She sure has taken a liking to you. I'd be hard-pressed to leave if I was you, heheh."

Tsukune smiled a bit, "Yeah. She's really nice, even if she hardly knows me." He shook his head, "She bit me again and drank my blood. I think she's telling the truth about the whole vampire thing."

The Jinchuuriki chuckled a bit, "Sexy."

Tsukune frowned at Naruto's teasing, "Yeah, well, after that happened I ran into that Saizou guy you were arguing with in class today. He said I better stay away from Moka or he'd make me pay."

"What'd you say?" the blond asked, all joking gone from his voice.

"Well, he asked what kind of monster I am, and well..."

Naruto didn't like the pause, "...well...what?"

"I-I said I was a vampire."

"Huh?" Naruto cocked his head to the side, "Wait, you said you were a _vampire_?"

Tsukune nodded, "Y-yeah. He got really pissed. He looked ready to kill me or something, but left saying I should stay away from Moka or else he'd end me."

"You aren't seriously going to let him bully you like that, are you?"

"W-well, he is big, and he could snap me like a twig. His arm got all weird and muscular too. I think that maybe he was letting some of his true self appear. It shattered a whole in a stone wall when he punched it."

"Tsukune, you can't let guys like that push you around, otherwise they'll just keep doing it." Naruto sighed.

"...he punched through a stone wall."

"Yeah, well, when someone gets on your case like that, there's only one thing you can do!"

Tsukune's expression became one of confusion, "There is? What?"

"Kick their ass, that's what!" Naruto crowed, clenching his fist, "Even if they beat you up, they'll leave you alone because you stood up to them! Bullies like that tend to just bother those that don't stand up for themselves. I bet if you had decked him in the jaw, he would have probably left you alone."

"He looked like he was ready to rip my head off." Tsukune murmured, "I got a bad feeling about that guy."

Naruto decided not to press further on the matter. It was Tsukune's choice, after all, "Well, just don't make the decision because of Saizou. If he gives you any more trouble, I'll be there to help you, alright?"

"Heh, thanks, Naruto." Tsukune smiled a little, "I'll think about it. I have until the end of the day to decide on this. It's only half past two, so I've got time." The boy decided to change the subject, "So, where did you go?"

Naruto proceeded to tell Tsukune about his little walk around campus, and how he ran into a 'super-cute girl' in the woods outside of school. As he described the girl to him, Tsukune couldn't help but feel a little jealous, "Heh, I got to admit, Naruto, I'm jealous. Maybe you'll luck out and have her in a class!"

The blond chuckled, "Eh, I doubt it. I mean, she said she's super popular, and I was never the kind of guy to attract attention from those kinds of girls. Well, at least I was never one to attract the good kind of attention from them."

The two talked for a bit longer before Naruto left, stating he wanted to get his room organized. Tsukune found himself once again looking at the withdrawal notice for Youkai Academy. Two sides presented themselves to the boy.

On one hand, if he left the Academy, he'd be safely back at home. No scary freaks attacking him and punching holes in walls. He wouldn't have to deal with the creepy atmosphere of the school, and risk being found out. However, he wouldn't be able to see Moka anymore, and that was a real downside in his opinion. He found that he wanted to know her better. That, and Naruto seemed to be a real cool guy. He didn't have many good friends back home, and he had found himself hitting it off well with the charismatic blond.

On the other hand, if Tsukune stayed, he have to deal with Saizou, as well as all the other negatives of being here. He'd be possibly risking his life, and he didn't like the idea of being killed very much. Still, he'd be able to spend time with Moka and Naruto, who was also a human like him.

"I want to make friends, but I don't know if it's safe here." Tsukune mumbled.

Taking a final look at the pamphlet, he let out a held breath and looked out the window of his dorm room. It was probably going onto three He got up and picked up his travel bag before leaving the room, his mind made up.

**End of Chapter One- Well, that's the end of the first chapter. Not much yet, I know. Then again, Rosario+Vampire is not as action packed as some of the other manga that I read, so yeah. Naruto will change that, likely. Let me know what you think. I'm sure many of you are wondering about pairings, and I'll just say right now that I won't be revealing such things...yet. By the way, yes, I _am_ working on my other stories as well. Don't worry!**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed reading! Until next chapter, see you!**


	2. Envy and Illusions

**Disclaimer: Naruto is property of Masashi Kishimoto, and Rosario+Vampire is the property of Akihisa Ikeda. Although, one could claim that Tsukune is property of Moka, since she seems to have such a tight leash on the boy's thoughts...er, yeah, anyway, moving on.**

**Rosario+Jinchuuriki**

**Chapter Two: Envy and Illusions**

Naruto took a good look at his room, grinning triumphantly at the small feat he had made in organizing his new living space. Tsunade would have been proud. He even put on fresh sheets.

"Hm, I wonder if the bed's too big..." Naruto mused while scratching his chin. The bed took up roughly a third of his entire room. He loved his bed though, having switched out the one provided by the dorms for his own. It was much nicer, and from what he read in the student handbook, there were no rules against doing such.

Plopping onto the giant bed, he sighed in contentment. The bed reminded him of his rather cramped living space he had back in Konoha. Of the wonderful view he had outside his window, and the way the sun shined down on the small village in the morning during the spring. He could picture the birds flying through the sky as...

He shook his head, feeling the familiar sadness creeping up on him. No sense in dwelling on things that couldn't be helped. He was on a mission, in a way. A mission to preserve himself from danger. If he screwed this up, well, then Konoha, along with the other Elemental Countries, would be screwed.

"I wonder if the cafeteria's open right now." Naruto thought aloud. Hopping off his bed, he left his room, locking his door and exiting the residence hall. He tried to recall the mess hall's location, and after two minutes of reaching no answer in his mind, gave up and decided to wing it. He'd run into it eventually.

"Yaaah! Tsukune, are you alright?!"

Naruto's head whipped around towards a small graveyard. He hopped over a stone fence, and looked around. He recognized that voice.

"Moka." Naruto spoke, seeing the vampire girl cradling a boy that appeared to be Tsukune in her arms. That wasn't what had the majority of his attention though.

He had no clue what the hell it was, but there was a hulking figure standing over the two, muscles covering every square inch of its body. It seemed to be closing in on Moka, laughing as she struggled to protect the fallen form of Tsukune while trying to keep away from the beast.

Naruto dug into a pocket, and pulled out a small scroll. He nodded to himself before pulling out his hitai-ite from one of his pocket and taking off his school uniform.

He'd been hoping to get a workout in today anyway. May as well take advantage of the situation.

* * *

Moka trembled as the rank breath of Saizou washed over her. Looking down to Tsukune, she spoke quietly, "Tsukune, I'm so sorry. I-I didn't want this to happen to you...even if you are a human..." She sobbed quietly, "I think that...even with all the trouble I've had with humans in the human world, all I ever wanted was to make a true friend."

Tsukune coughed a bit, blood dribbling down his chin from the rather powerful strike Saizou had dealt him while in his true form, "Moka, I-I know that I may not be much as far as guys go. I-I also know that it was wrong of me to get angry at you and storm off to leave Youkai Academy like that." He breathed quietly while opening his eyes a little, "Th-the truth is, Moka, I want...to be your friend too."

Moka's eyes widened as she took in a sharp breath. He wanted to be friends with her? Even if they were different?

She sniffled a bit, "Thank you, Tsukune. That means a lot to me."

"Hey, are you still crying over that wimp?!" Saizou laughed, walking over to the pair, his tongue hanging out of his mouth a bit, "Moka, Moka...don't you see that I'm the only guy for you? Even if you don't like it, I'm going to have my way with you." He sneered as she backed away a bit while holding Tsukune close to her, "This is going to be a fun little violation of school rules, heheh..."

"Please just leave us alone, Saizou! This is just horrible, what you're doing, and-"

_Fwooosh!_

_ Schluck!!_

"Gaaaaah! Son of a bitch!!!" Saizou roared in pain as he yanked an odd object out of his right shoulder. He studied it for a moment before raising an eyebrow, "What the hell is this? It's almost like one of those ninja throwing stars..."

"It's called a Demon Wind Shuriken, dumbass!"

Saizou and Moka both looked up to a tree where the voice seemed to be coming from. A figure could be standing on one of the larger limbs of the dead tree, another one of the large projectile weapons in hand, "You bastard! I was wondering if I'd run into you again."

Naruto hopped down from the tree, school jacket tied around his waist and hitai-ite tied around his forehead, "Yeah, and I told you to stop harassing Moka-chan. Now you go and injure one of my friends and attempt to something like _that_ to Moka?" Naruto got into a ready stance, "Look, I don't know what you think the proper way to treat a lady is, but rape and abuse are definitely not on my top five."

"Shut up!!" Saizou growled, cocking back a fist, "I'm going to crush you once and for all!!"

Naruto hopped to the side, flipping back and pushing off the ground with a single hand while chucking the other shuriken in his other hand. Saizou managed to sidestep the projectile, sustaining only a minor cut on his arm. He glared at the blond while Naruto just stood in place, pulling a kunai out of his pant pocket, "You know, Saizou, maybe if you weren't so bulky you'd be able to land a hit on me."

"I said _shut the hell up_!!!"

Moka watched in horror as Saizou stampeded towards her only other friend on campus. She cried out his name while trying to help Tsukune out.

"Moka..."

"Tsukune, just hold on, I'm going to get us-"

Tsukune's hand grasped her shoulder weakly, "I'm sorry I couldn't help more. Looks like Naruto's...got this under control..." His shoulder began to slide off her shoulder, "Y-you should get out of here..."

The boy's hand slipped around her rosary, and gripped it tightly, "Tsukune, just rest, we'll-"

_Snap!_

Naruto froze in place for a moment, feeling a powerful and rather unsettling presence suddenly make itself known to him. It was different from chakra, though he sensed some powerful killer intent behind it.

Turning around for a moment, he noted that Moka and Tsukune were unharmed...though...

"What happened to Moka's hair?" Naruto questioned.

Naruto's question was answered by the very person he was fighting, "N-no way! Moka's...a vampire???" He growled, looking back to Naruto, "Damn it! I'll finish you off first, then take care of her!!"

The gargantuan monster charged straight towards Naruto, intent on obliterating the blond with his immense power. Naruto just shifted his footing a bit while smirking a little. This guy was too predictable. Charging straight towards him? Rookie mistake.

Naruto was behind Saizou a second later, kunai still in hand. Saizou stopped his running, falling to his knees as blood spurted out of both his shoulders. His arms hung limply at his sides, not responding as he tried to move them.

"What the hell did you do to my arms?!"

Naruto just shrugged, "I guess I cut into a tendon or something."

Saizou snapped, "Damn you!!!"

Naruto frowned, "Charging again..."

A second Naruto appeared out of thin air. The two blonds formed a glowing ball in their hands, which began to spin wildly, the blue light spiraling at high speeds as the Naruto Shadow Clone vanished.

Saizou reared back a foot to nail Naruto in the jaw with a well placed kick. The blond ran at the monster while pulling back the arm holding his Rasengan.

"Eat this, jerk! _**Rasengan**_!!!"

Saizou was blasted back by a blinding flash of blue light. He felt something akin to being hit by a speeding car hit him in the chest as he crashed through several trees and a grave or two. Naruto smirked as his opponent groaned in pain. Walking towards the crumpled heap, the blond sighed, "Are you done now, Saizou? I didn't even put half of what I could have into that attack. Just give it up already."

The shinobi question was answered by a bellowing roar from the gigantic beast. Saizou jumped up, raising a foot to squash the blond before him. Naruto was ready to make a quick Kawarimi, but the need never came.

A flash of silver and green leaped in front of Naruto, "I'll finish this, Naruto."

"Huh?" Naruto looked to the one who had interrupted their fight. Even Saizou had paused in his attack, standing lopsidedly with one foot raised in the air, "Moka? Is...is that you?"

Moka turned to the blond, her blazing irises locking with his sapphire ones, "You seem to be surprised. Did you expect anything different from a vampire?" Her fanged smirk sent a chill down his spine, but it wasn't an entirely bad one. Moka turned back to Saizou, her voice icy cold, "You thought you could get away with trying to violate my more sentimental self, did you?"

"Tch, looks like I'll have to rough you up first, huh? Fine by me!! Vampire or not, it makes no difference to me!!"

Moka's reply was a quick and rather devastating snap kick to Saizou, followed up by an elbow to the gut, and a powerful knee to the jaw. The monster flew through the air a second time, smashing into several dead trees before crashing into yet another tombstone. He didn't get up this time, having been knocked unconscious.

After confirming to himself that Saizou had been knocked out, Naruto took off his headband and stuffed it into his pocket, then put his school uniform back on after dusting himself off a bit. The blond's attention now fell upon the form of Moka. Her hair had changed from its bright pink color to a shining silver color. Her eyes were a deep red, and her fangs seemed a bit more pronounced. Not only that, but she seemed to be a bit more...developed.

"Um, are you guys alright?" Naruto asked as Moka walked over Tsukune, helping the slowly awakening boy sit upright.

"Yes, I'm unharmed." Moka spoke, her voice a bit deeper, going along well with her slightly matured appearance. She took a few steps forward while her eyes scanned over Naruto, "You fight quite well."

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, grinning with a low chuckle, "Heh, thanks Moka-chan. By the way..."

Moka's face remained neutral as she stared at Naruto expectantly, "Yes?"

"What happened to you? Your hair is silver, and you look...well..._older_."

Moka scoffed lightly, "The Moka that you're familiar with is the Moka that has her power suppressed. _This_ is my true form."

Naruto didn't flinch as her aura seemed to grow more powerful, "So you are a vampire. Tsukune was right about your rosary." He smirked, "I really don't want to have to fight you too. You're not going to attack me or anything are you?"

Moka's eyes narrowed while a frown marred her features, "What makes you think I would go and attack you without reason? Even so, you wouldn't stand a chance in a fight with me. It'd simply be an unfair match. I won't disgrace myself by fighting someone at your level."

"You just said I fight well, didn't you?" Naruto retorted, folding his arms with a stubborn expression on his features.

"Yes. You fight well for someone who isn't a vampire and is in their human disguise." Moka clarified, "Understand this, Naruto Uzumaki; I am not like my gentler half. Don't coddle me and try to protect me."

"Oi, for the record, I was fighting because Tsukune almost got killed, and _you_ weren't doing anything for the longest time."

Naruto didn't know what to make of this 'other half' of Moka. She was a polar opposite of the Moka he knew. This Moka almost seemed to be looking down on him.

"Hmph. Regardless, the fact is that Tsukune, being a human, wasn't able to properly defend himself against a monster like that wretch named Saizou. My sleeping self isn't able to access the powers that I have. Rosaries have that kind of affect on vampires, after all."

"Wait..." Naruto took a step forward, "How do you know about Tsukune and him being human?"

Moka rolled her eyes, "Simple. He told me."

"Oh, well, never mind then." Naruto loosened up again, feeling it safe enough to let his guard down. He looked to Moka, who was still looking to the blond with an even gaze, "Do I even get a 'thank you'?" Naruto grumbled.

By now, Tsukune was standing up, and had caught most of what was said between the two. He was still shocked by the sharp contrast between this Moka and the one he had first met.

"Moka-san...I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you." Tsukune said quietly. Moka turned to the boy before shaking her head.

"Don't waste your breath on apologies; you're just a human, after all. No ordinary human would be able to stand up to a monster. You're brave, if anything, to stand up to such a beast like Saizou." She leaned closer to him, "Don't let that go to your head though."

Moka raised an eyebrow as she noted the timidness of Tsukune as he watched her every movement, "You're scared of this form, aren't you?" The grin didn't help hide her amusement.

"Well, I-"

She ran a hand down his cheek before continuing, "Don't worry. I have only just woken up, and I'm still quite tired." She picked the rosary out of Tsukune's hands, "Besides, I wouldn't dare hurt the person who my sleeping self seems to treasure the blood of."

"Um...okay?" Tsukune gulped as she pulled her hand away from his cheek, "I guess that's good to hear."

"Very well," Moka spoke, "Until we meet again, you two had best babysit the more sentimental Moka."

Moka pressed the rosary to her broken necklace chain, and it fused back onto her chain. Moka's hair changed back to its pink coloring, and Moka's physique also became more youthful. Her eyes closed as she fell forward, Tsukune catching her as she passed out.

"Um," Tsukune began, "Naruto, could you help me?"

"Yeah, I suppose we ought to get out of here. Last thing we need is a crowd wondering who did all this damage." the young shinobi replied, helping Tsukune carry Moka to her dorm.

* * *

It had been five days since the trio's encounter with Saizou. Naruto, Tsukune, and Moka quickly fell into the swing of things with classes. Naruto unfortunately had no prior experience with some of the subjects such as modern world history. There was no mentioning of the Great Shinobi Wars or the rise of the Elemental Nations. Apparently this human world had gone through two devastating world wars of their own, though. The human world had advanced computer systems that allowed people from different sides of the globe to communicate, and phones that could fit into a person's pocket even!

Naruto had a hard time absorbing it all. It was a hard pill to swallow knowing that the most advanced wireless radios used by ANBU in Konoha were considered obsolete almost a decade ago in this world. He took it all in stride nevertheless.

"Naruto? Naruto Uzumaki, are you listening?"

Naruto looked up, "Uh..." Naruto looked to the board, noting that Ririko-sensei had scribbled a rather complex formula on the board, "Well, I'm still solving it, Ririko-sensei."

Ririko gave a small smile, "Naruto, if you need help studying, you know that I offer tutelage after school."

Naruto waved a hand, doodling a picture of a dragon blowing flames while pretending to try and solve the formula, "I know, I know."

Ririko Kagome sighed as the bell rang, "Alright, class, remember to do problems fifteen through seventy, odds only. I want to see work, too, so be sure to indicate how you solved them. The homework will be due by the end of the week!"

Naruto yawned as he walked down the halls. Tsukune and Moka caught up with him in short time, "Naruto-kun, you _know _that Tsukune and I offered to study with you last night. That problem was in the practice problems for today, and you would have known them if you-"

"Bah, don't worry about it, Moka-chan. Math is just boring for me. I'd rather just go to gym class all day or read some of those cool fantasy novels that Nekonome-sensei suggested." the blond replied.

Tsukune nodded, "It's a good thing that Ririko-sensei is a nice teacher."

"I suppose." Naruto shrugged, "Well, I have gym. I'll see you guys later!"

* * *

Naruto had gym class separately from Moka and Tsukune. It was fun though, especially since they started the first class with a game called dodge ball. Apparently the whole point of the game was to throw rubber balls at people and make sure you don't get hit. Easy enough.

"Damn it, can't someone hit Uzumaki already?!" yelled one of the boys on the opposite team. So far the opposing team had managed to take out almost eighty percent of Naruto's team, leaving the blond and the one other decent student on his team to fend for themselves.

"Mizore-chan, duck!"

The purple haired girl who was standing behind Naruto did so without a second thought, and the young shinobi chucked the ball in his hands for all it was worth. One unfortunate girl screamed as the ball rocketed into her stomach, sending her back before she fell over.

Mizore smiled a bit, "Nice throw, Naruto."

"Heh, thanks, Mizore-chan. You got a good arm yourself!" Naruto replied. He decided that the soft spoken girl was cool in his book. She wasn't timid though, seeing as she had managed to take out almost every person who tried to get her out.

About two minutes later found Naruto and Mizore standing off against only four students, the other six having been taken out.

"I've got the redhead." Mizore spoke softly, holding a dodge ball in her hands.

Naruto laughed, "Fine, I'll get the big guy with the messy bangs and freckles."

"You mean the lanky one?"

"Yeah."

"Fair enough. Cover me." Mizore said with a faint smile, "Same as before?"

"Sure thing!" Naruto picked up a second ball that had bounced over to their side of the court. Mizore dashed to the center line, and slid forwards while ducking under a dodge ball. A second one came flying at her, too fast for her to avoid. Out of the side of her vision, another ball came flying and hit the incoming projectile, sending it harmlessly away from Mizore.

"Dang it, Uzumaki did it again!" shouted the boy who almost took Mizore out of the game.

"Now, Mizore!!" Naruto shouted.

The girl took that as her cue, and threw the ball at the redheaded girl on the opposing team. It hit the girl in the foot, causing her to fall forward.

Naruto quickly followed up by chucking his ball at his designated target. The boy screamed as the ball smacked him square in the chest before bouncing off and smacking one of his teammate's in the back.

"Haha! Two for one!" Naruto cheered while pumping a fist.

A single girl stood on the opposing side, looking awestruck at how gracefully the two had managed to take out three of her teammates. Just three minutes ago they had outnumbered them eight to two.

"I'll finish this." Mizore spoke, picking up a ball that rolled over their side of the court.

Naruto pouted, "Aw, come on! You got last out yesterday too!"

"I know." Mizore smiled teasingly, "You got to take out the first four anyway."

Naruto grumbled as Mizore quickly dispatched the girl via ball to the arm as she tried to dive out of the way.

"Alright, students. Looks like Team A wins...again" the gym teacher, Kotsubo Okuto, spoke.

Naruto laughed, "Yeah! We rock, Mizore-chan!!!"

Mizore blushed a bit, "Yeah. You seem to get a bit carried away with these games though, Naruto. It's just gym class."

Naruto shrugged while still grinning like it was going out of style, "Heheh, maybe, but I can't help but love this class! I love running around and just whooping everyone else."

Mizore rolled her eyes, the impish smile still on her face, "I can tell."

"Naruto, you have quite the talent for athletics."

"Huh? Oh, thanks Okuto-sensei! Heheh, I just do what I can."

Okuto grinned, "I can see that. I'm actually looking for new students athletes, and I think you'd be right at home in the athletics department."

"Really? I don't really know many of the sports aside from soccer, to be perfectly honest..." Naruto scratched his neck while giving a sheepish grin, "...my home didn't have many sports like this."

"That's fine, but if you ever feel like joining a sport, just come talk to me." Kotsubo spoke, "Alright, class. That's it for today."

Naruto turned back to speak to Mizore, only to see her already heading back to the girl's locker room. He frowned, but decided not to make a big deal of it. He could always talk to her next time in class.

In the locker room, most of the guys avoided Naruto as much as possible. Some were whispering words like, 'vampire' and 'strong' and 'beat up Saizou'. Naruto took it in stride. Besides, it kept any jerks away that were afraid of getting the tar beaten out of them.

* * *

"Naruto, don't tell me you forgot to add the yeast!"

"Heheh...um...if I said 'no', would you not get mad at me?"

Kurumu sighed before looking at the flat loaf of bread, "Naruto, this isn't what we were supposed to do. Yeast helps bread rise, and if it doesn't rise, it won't be as big and um..."

"Puffy?" Naruto suggested, earning a flat look from the blue haired girl.

Kurumu honestly didn't mind Naruto. They got to have class twice a week together, and while he was a very kind person, he was probably capable of actually burning water if Kurumu left him to his own devices. Still, he had helped her get to the hospital to get her ankle taken care of, and while he wasn't a total moron, he had his embarrassing moments.

So, being the merciful and benevolent woman that she was, she chose him for a partner after seeing him fail utterly in trying to peel potatoes.

"Kurumu, Naruto, did you make this?"

The home economics teacher looked at the piece of flat bread lying on the baking tray while Kurumu smiled nervously, "Y-yes, sensei. We were planning on-"

"Flat bread; an unusual but interesting choice! You two get an A for today! Not too many would stray away from the usual bread and boring dishes, but flat bread could prove to be quite a nice side dish for a home cooked meal. Great work!" The teacher finished. She nodded, handing them a paper with a big 'A' on their assignment sheet for the day.

"Did that just happen?" Naruto asked.

Kurumu looked to Naruto before laughing, "Naruto, you're mistake helped us!" She grinned, "So, shall we try some of the bread?"

After eating the fruits of their labor, Naruto and Kurumu left the classroom as the bell rang. The two were both done with classes for the day, which was kind of nice for the blond. He truthfully wanted to get to know the blue haired girl better, and now was as good an opportunity as any.

"So, how's your ankle?"

Kurumu smiled while moving her ankle in a small circle, "It's healed up! Thanks again for helping me back then."

Naruto gave her a thumbs up, "Not a problem, Kurumu-chan! That's what friends do for each other!"

The two were quiet for awhile after that. Kurumu eventually interrupted their comfortable silence with a question, "Hey, Naruto? You know that Moka Akashiya girl, right?"

Naruto turned to his side to see Kurumu giving him a curious look, "Moka-chan? Yeah, sure. She's a pretty nice girl, and she's friends with me and Tsukune. What about her?"

Kurumu smiled a bit, "Oh, nothing. It's just...she seems really close to Tsukune, doesn't she?"

_"Is she friends with Tsukune, too? She seems like she's familiar with him by the way she's addressing him..."_ Naruto laughed, "Heheh, I suppose. They have a lot of classes together though too, so I suppose they would be pretty close, right?"

"It's not fair!" Kurumu blurted out.

Naruto jumped a bit at the sudden outburst, "Wh-what's not fair?"

Kurumu turned to Naruto, her eyes showing clear signs of anger, "Moka, and how she's loved by _everyone_!"

"Well, I don't know about tha-"

"It's true! She's getting in the way of things!"

Naruto was unsure of what to make of Kurumu's sudden anger, "What things?"

Kurumu eyes widened, and she looked away nervously, "Er...well, I guess what..." She sighed, "Never mind, Naruto-kun."

Naruto wouldn't have any of that, "Kurumu-chan, come on! We're friends! Tell me what the problem is. I-I'm sure that whatever it is, you can resolve it if you just talk to Moka. She's a really nice girl, and I'm sure that if you told her what was on your mind she'd be willing to-"

"Naruto, would you be willing to help me?"

The young shinobi was caught off guard, "Help you? Yeah, what do you need?"

Kurumu bit on her lower lip, unsure of what to say, _"I don't want to do this to Naruto. He's a genuinely nice guy...but..." _She thought of how Moka had so many admirers while she had to charm all of the boys who followed her with her powers, _"It will just be this once. I won't do anything to drastic or serious with him. He won't remember any of it."_

"Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

Kurumu smiled a bit while her eyes seemed to almost glow, "Thank you."

Naruto suddenly felt dizzy, and his vision blurred a bit.

* * *

"Tsukune, let me suck your blood! Please? It's so delicious, I think I'm becoming addicted to it!" Moka said playfully as Tsukune laughed nervously.

"Moka, you just drank my blood this morning. Don't you think you've had enough??"

"Nooo, it's so delectable! High grade, too! A full flavor, rich in vitamins, and a balance of minerals as well. You should be proud!" Moka stated matter-of-factly, "So can I please drink your blood?"

"Is that all I am, Moka? Food?" Tsukune sighed.

"What do you mean, Tsukune?" Moka asked, her smile dropping as she sensed Tsukune's change in mood.

"Why are you always-"

"Aha! There you are, Moka Akashiya!!!"

Moka and Tsukune stopped what they were doing, the duo turning down the hall to see a blue haired girl standing in the middle of the hallway behind them.

"Um..." Tsukune raised an eyebrow, "Who are you?"

Kurumu smiled, "I'm Kurumu Kurono! The most beautiful girl in all of Youkai Academy!"

"Hello..." Moka greeted, still unsure what to make of the situation, "I'm-"

"I already know who _you_ are, Moka Akashiya!" Kurumu growled, "You're the reason my plan to make the entire male population of this school my own personal harem isn't working! You're stealing their attention!!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Moka replied, shaking her head, "Listen, I'm sure there's some sort of misunderstanding here, why don't we just talk this over and-"

Kurumu walked over to Moka, leaning in close, "Heh, don't think you'll weasel out of this one, Moka. I know about your little secret."

"M-my secret?" Moka repeated.

Kurumu smirked, "That's right. You're a vampire." She grinned as Moka's eyes widened a little, "I've also noted that Tsukune-kun here has a rather pleasant scent himself."

"No...you don't mean-"

Kurumu laughed a little, "Yes. I know that Tsukune-kun here is actually..." she lowered her voice to a whisper, "...a human."

Tsukune took a step back while Moka stood beside him, "You don't know that for sure. What makes you think that he's a human?"

Kurumu stood right before the rosette, her shorter height becoming quite evident, "Oh please, I can see right off the bat that you're just using Tsukune-kun for his blood, aren't you?"

"That's not true at-"

"Admit it! You're just using him, Moka Akashiya!" Kurumu pointed a finger accusingly, drawing a small crowd, "I bet that's exactly the case!"

Moka turned to Kurumu, "Tsukune, that's not true at all, believe me! I would never do that to you!"

Tsukune raised a hand between the two girls, "I'm sure there's some sort of way we can resolve this without a quarrel."

Kurumu smiled, "Ah, you're right, Tsukune! I didn't mean to cause all this trouble, but I can't stand seeing her treat you like this!" She glomped him and looked into his eyes, "You're truly a nice boy!"

Tsukune started to feel dizzy, and could not remove his eyes from the blue haired girl's, "I...I..."

"Tsukune, are you alright??" Moka asked.

Tsukune looked to Moka, his vision a bit out of focus, "I don't know, Moka. With all the blood you keep draining from me, I guess I'm not surprised to be feeling a bit ill." He smiled a bit, "I think it would be best if you just stay away from me, Moka."

Moka's eyes widened, "Wh-what? Tsukune-kun, I don't know-"

Kurumu wrapped her arms around the boy while smirking, "Why don't you just leave Tsukune alone, Moka? He said it himself; he's not feeling well, and with the way you just drain blood from him like water, he's bound to feel faint!" She looked up to the boy with a distressed look, "Come on, Tsukune, will take you to the infirmary right away."

Moka felt tears pricking her eyes as she watched Tsukune leave suddenly with Kurumu. He hardly knew her! Turning on her heel, Moka dashed down the hall, rivulets of salty water running down her cheeks.

* * *

Tsukune shook his head as he sat on the bed in the infirmary. He recalled saying things to Moka that he was pretty sure he never would have wanted to utter to her. He recalled her running off down the hall, and crying.

More or less, Tsukune felt like a major ass right now.

"Tsukune-kun...I know you must be hurting right now."

Tsukune looked to the girl sitting on his bedside, "Kurumu-chan?"

Kurumu was now sitting on his lap, running a gentle hand through his hair, "It's okay, Tsukune. I'll make you feel better now."

_"What is she doing? I..."_ Tsukune found himself entranced by her eyes yet again, _"It feels like everything is spinning. What's with those eyes of hers???"_

Kurumu was practically cheering to herself, _"Finally! That broken ankle slowed me down for awhile, but I finally managed to get that Moka to cry! Now I've just got to kiss Tsukune, and he'll be my servant as long as I wish!"_

Moka sat on the steps outside of the main building. She couldn't help but think of what Tsukune had said. Maybe...maybe she really was treating Tsukune badly. Maybe she was just using him for a free food source.

_"How naive." _

Moka looked around, then to the rosary around her neck, "Eh? Who's there?"

_"I'm in here. I'm the part of you sealed away inside this rosary!"_ replied the voice once more. Moka looked to see a single glowing red eye in the center of the cross, _"Listen to me; Tsukune is being tricked by that girl. She's a succubus, and her powers involve charming other males into becoming her mindless servants!"_

"Wait...s-so you mean to tell me that Tsukune-kun was under a spell?" A light bulb went on in her head, "Oh! Kurumu was trying to make me think that Tsukune was saying those things to me, wasn't she?!"

_"Precisely. If you don't hurry to the infirmary, she'll kiss him."_

For some reason or another, that just didn't settle well with Moka, "She'll _what_?"

_"Just as I said; a Succubus's kiss has the power to turn whomever she kisses into her personal slave!"_

Moka got up, "I understand! I have to hurry!!" With that, the vampire girl dashed as fast as she could to the hospital, intent on setting things right. She made it to the hospital as quickly as possible, and asked the nurse where Tsukune's room was. She dashed down the hall, and just as she was turning the corner, a figure stepped out in front of her.

"Ahh!" Moka bumped into the person, obviously male, and looked up, "Oh, I'm sorry, I was just-Naruto?"

"Hello, Moka-chan. You're in a real hurry." Naruto spoke as he put a hand on either of the vampire girl's shoulders, "Something wrong?"

"Naruto-kun, Tsukune's in real trouble! I have to find him before-"

Naruto laughed, "Relax, Moka-chan. Tsukune's fine, I just checked on him a little while ago. I saw him heading to the hospital, so I decided to see what's wrong. He was just feeling a little weak. He looked sickly." He grinned, "I think he needs some rest."

"H-he's okay?" Moka inquired.

"Yep. He just felt tired." Naruto replied.

"O-oh, well, then I suppose I should leave him be..." She looked to the blond, and noted his eyes were almost...out of focus. He seemed to be looking through Moka as he spoke to her, "Naruto-kun, are you alright?"

"Yeah, never been better. Why?"

_"That Succubus has him under her spell too. She's probably got him here to make sure there's no trouble for her."_ Moka heard her inner self's voice echo in her mind.

Moka took a step back, her eyes looking over Naruto, "Um, Naruto-kun, I want to see Tsukune. I have to talk to him about a few things that are really important."

Naruto's smile slipped a little, "Do you think that could wait until later? He seemed _very _sleepy. I think he said something about you making him feel drained."

"Naruto-kun...did you see Kurumu Kurono by any chance today?"

Naruto's smile was now an unreadable expression. He chuckled, "Moka-chan, if you plan on getting involved with Kurumu-chan's plans, I'll have to stop you."

"Let me through, Naruto-kun. I know you're under her charm."

"What charm?" Naruto asked, clenching a fist a bit, "Kurumu-chan's going to make this entire school's male population her personal harem." He let a grin creep onto his features, "In order to do so, she has to keep you from becoming too popular."

There was a sound of something crashing to the floor in the room behind Naruto. Both looked to the door as the sound of a girl yelling. Moka pushed Naruto aside with a surprising amount of force and opened the door.

"...I can't believe this! Even after I charm you, you still resist??"

There was Kurumu Kurono standing on top of a bed while Tsukune looked both confused and a bit terrified, with good reason. Kurumu had a pair of leathery wings and a pointed tail now, but aside from that, she looked relatively the same.

"W-what are you?" Tsukune stuttered as he tried to remain as far away from the enraged succubus as possible.

"Tsukune!!!" Moka cried out, and ran towards Kurumu. The two collided, Moka's innate physical strength showing itself as she pushed the succubus out a window. Even in her sealed state, she was still stronger than the average girl her age.

"Yaaaaaaaahh!!!" Kurumu cried out as she crashed through the window of the hospital room.

"Kurumu-chan!!" Naruto cried out, running past Tsukune and Moka and diving out the window. He landed skillfully and ran to the succubus's side. She groaned a bit as she got up, for the most part unharmed, having used her wings to slow down her descent toward the ground. Naruto helped her up, "Are you alright, Kurumu-chan?"

"I'm fine." Kurumu spoke, turning her gaze to the window above where Tsukune and Moka were watching them from. She growled, "Come down here and face me, Moka Akashiya! Let's see just how if those rumors are right on your amazing power!"

Tsukune watched as Kurumu swiped her elongated nails at Moka, which were surprisingly sharp. Several times he swore he saw her cut through an entire tree like butter.

"Ah, Moka-san, watch out!" Tsukune cried out as the two dove out of the way of another dive bomb by the enraged Succubus. They hid behind a tree as Kurumu encircled the area, searching for them.

"Tsukune-kun, you're injured." Moka spoke, looking to a rather large gash down his arm. She could smell the metallic scent of his blood, but shook her head. She had to stay focused. This wasn't about his blood; it was about him, and keeping him safe.

"Oh...heh, don't worry, Moka-san. It's not that bad, really." Tsukune spoke.

"There you are!"

The two looked to see Kurumu flying above them, "Hah, figures! You can only hide from me! Just give it up and die already!"

Moka wrapped her arms around Tsukune, holding him close, "Tsukune, I'm sorry for always feeding on you. Please know that you...you're truly precious to me."

"Moka-san?"

"Remove my rosary, Tsukune, and I can fight her!"

Tsukune nodded, "R-right!" He tugged on the cross around her neck, but it did not snap off, "Eh?? Moka-san, it won't come off!!"

"Huh?" Moka shook her head, "Why?!"

"Are you two just going to stand there? Fine! That makes it all the more easy for me to finish you off then!" Kurumu shouted as she flexed her claws, closing in on the two.

"Moka-san, get out the way or you'll-"

Moka didn't budge, instead holding Tsukune tighter, "It's okay, Tsukune-kun. If you're safe from harm, then I don't mind protecting you..."

Tsukune clenched a fist while berating himself, "_No, this is all because I fell under Kurumu's charm and said those things to Moka! If none of that had happened, we wouldn't be here! It's my fault we're here! I won't let Moka be put in further danger because of me!!"_

Tsukune gripped the rosary around Moka a final time, and pulled.

* * *

Naruto watched as a light erupted from the spot where Moka and Tsukune had been standing. He recognized the feeling of that terrifying power, "Moka-chan's rosary was removed again." His eyes widened as he saw Kurumu near them, "Crap, Kurumu-chan's in trouble!!"

He dashed towards the three to try and stop the fight.

"W-what the hell happened?" Kurumu asked herself as she flapped above the dwindling pink aura. She saw Tsukune sitting on the ground while Moka stood up. Her hair was now a distinct color of silver, and her eyes were a piercing red color, like that of blood, "I-is this the youkai of a vampire???"

"Hmph...so, you think you can take me on in a fight, little girl?" Moka replied, her fangs revealed as she gave a slightly menacing grin, "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Kurumu growled with fury, and shot down towards the silver haired beauty. Moka quickly jumped over the Succubus's head, and grabbed her by the tail before flinging her over her shoulder. Kurumu let out a scream as she was sent crashing into a tree, knocking the air out of her body.

"Is this all there is to your power? Using underhanded tactics like hypnosis to charm others? Aside from that and your nails, wings and tail, there's not much to you that's very intimidating." Moka walked slowly towards the girl, "I'll teach you what happens when you challenge one such as myself."

"Shut up! Y-you don't know anything about me!" Kurumu snapped, "My race is a small one, and among the many that we put under our control, we search for our 'Destined One', who we will spend our lives and raise children with!" She stood up, trying her best to ignore the painful sting running throughout her body, "You're getting in the way of my search for my Destined One, Moka Akashiya! I won't let that continue!!!" She spread her wings and flew at her a second time.

"Such a temperamental girl." Moka scoffed, catching Kurumu by the wrist and kneeing her in the gut before slamming her to the ground. Kurumu coughed as spittle flew, and struggled to get up, only to have a foot placed over her stomach.

_Fwish!!!_

Moka turned around in time to see three shuriken flying towards her. She leaned to the side, the metal projectiles missing her as they were embedded into a nearby tree. She looked ahead to see Naruto holding several more in each hand, "Naruto...stand down. You're still under this girl's charm."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Moka-chan." Naruto spoke, though he _was _still under the control of Kurumu's spell, "Leave Kurumu-chan alone."

"You plan on stopping me if I don't?" Moka spoke, removing her foot from Kurumu. She chuckled a little, "Naruto, I almost feel bad, but I'm going to have to beat you out of that spell it would seem."

Naruto said nothing, instead chucking the weapons in his hand at the girl while jumping into the air. He made a single hand seal before summoning several Shadow Clones and engaging Moka in battle.

Moka, much to her credit, didn't move. She _was _surprised to see several copies of the blond appear out of thin air, but she had dealt with worse, she told her self.

The first clone tried to deal a spin kick to her, which she deftly caught. Using the momentum of the clone, she spun around and sent the copy into two more, dispelling the three with a flourish. She spun around just in time to have a foot meet her gut. She grunted before stumbling back a little and feeling two arms wrap around her, restraining her.

"You think that you can beat me into submission like this?" Moka laughed a little.

"Nope." the clone replied, "He might be able to though."

"What are-?" Moka looked ahead to see Naruto dashing at her with that same blue spinning orb he had used before against Saizou.

"_**Rasengan**_!!!"

Moka quickly used her might to break free of the clone's grip, then tripping up the real Naruto and causing him to fall over and lose control of the odd sphere in his hands.

Naruto stood up, only to have Moka right before him. He blocked a punch to the face, feeling the crack of several wrist bones. Her attack continued with a snap kick to the face, which he narrowly avoided by hopping backwards and arching his neck back as it grazed his chin.

"Definitely a skilled fighter." Moka commented, "You lack the same strength I have, though." She slammed a foot into his gut before continuing with a knee to the jaw, "Now, stand down before I resort to using more of my power, Naruto."

Naruto struggled to get up, but he was finding it hard to keep focus of Moka. He grunted as he got on one knee. His vision went dark, and he fell over onto his stomach. Moka went over to him and checked his pulse, and nodded to herself before standing up. It wouldn't do to have her go and kill a friend of her outer self.

"You..." Moka began, turning back to Kurumu, "Though he attacked me, it was because of your charm powers that he was protecting you." The air seemed to become thick with murderous intent as the unsealed Moka made her way towards the Succubus, "I'll make you pay for forcing me to fight Naruto."

"I...I didn't mean for him to fight you! I told him to stay out of the fight! Honest!" Kurumu spoke, feeling the cold, foreboding aura of Moka's true self approach her, "Please, I didn't mean for this go so far! I-"

"Enough. I'm going to make sure you can never stand up to me again." Moka spoke, her voice like ice cutting through the air.

A figure stepped between the two, and Moka immediately recognized it as Tsukune. He held in his hands the rosary that sealed her powers away, "Moka-san, that's enough."

Moka raised an eyebrow, "What's the meaning of this? Why are you interfering? This girl not only placed a charm on you and Naruto, which also caused Naruto to attack me, but she was attempting to kill us. You truly mean to protect her from me?"

Tsukune sighed, "I know what Kurumu did was wrong...but I don't think she meant for it to be like this. Honestly, I believe she's not that cruel of a person; just like you, Moka."

Moka snatched the rosary from his hands, "Don't get me confused with my outer self." She raised the rosary before her so Tsukune could see, "I'm not anything like my more gentle side, and the only reason I protected you was because my outer self seems to value your friendship so much." She leaned in closer, "Not to mention that while it _isn't_ the most important thing to her, she _does_ value your blood."

The rosary snapped into place on her necklace, and the vampire girl reverted back to her pink haired self. She blinked a few times before falling into Tsukune's arms, out like a light.

"I-is she...?" Kurumu began.

Tsukune shook his head, "She's just unconscious. Her rosary apparently holds her power." He turned to the blue haired girl as he continued, "Listen, Kurumu, I know we had a bad start, but if you are willing to, maybe we could start over? All of us?"

"I..." Kurumu looked to Naruto, who was still unconscious. She felt guilt creep up on her, "I don't know if I deserve that. Look what I've done here. I...I made Naruto do my bidding for me, and even after I told him to stop, he went and put himself in danger. Not to mention that I was attacking you and Moka."

"Well, I think Moka realized that. She held back it looks like..." Tsukune decided not to mention that Naruto used some weird powers himself, which made him question whether Naruto truly _was_ a human.

Kurumu eventually concealed her wings, tail, and nails once more, and went over to the sleeping form of Naruto, Tsukune and a slowly awakening Moka next to her, "Tsukune-kun...I'm sorry this happened. I was...just getting to carried away with my powers, and well, the Succubus don't have a high population so-"

"I heard you before, Kurumu." Tsukune replied, "I won't lie and say I'm happy that you did all this, but I guess the fact that you feel bad shows you're not a cruel person." He smiled a little, "I'm sure we can all be friends, Kurumu."

"Friends?" Kurumu repeated, her voice lifting a bit, "Really?"

"Yeah, but you better give Naruto an explanation as well when he wakes up. He's going to be demanding an answer when he wakes up and feels like he got into a brawl."

"Right." Kurumu spoke, "Tsukune-kun, you go and take care of Moka. I'll bring Naruto to the hospital."

Tsukune gave a nod, and set Moka on against a tree while awaiting for her to regain her senses. Kurumu carried Naruto with his arms draped over her shoulders while attempting to carry him on her back. She managed to get the blond to the hospital, and he was admitted with a minor concussion. Surprisingly, most of the wounds he had sustained from earlier were gone. He actually appeared to be relatively fine for the most part. Thanks to that, Kurumu was able to simply state that Naruto was messing around on a tree and fell to the nurse behind the desk. Simple and plausible.

* * *

Naruto felt like he had been punched by one of Tsunade's left hooks as he opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings. A white room, with white curtains, and white tiling.

"Damn it, why am I in a hospital?" Naruto grumbled, sitting up.

"Naruto?" The blond turned to his right to see Kurumu sitting in a chair, a good distance from his bed. She looked up to him for a moment, but her gaze shifted to the floor, "How are you feeling?"

"Aside from the killer headache, fine I suppose." Naruto replied, "What happened? Did I fall down a flight of stairs or something?"

"Not exactly..." Kurumu responded quietly, "I need to explain a few things, Naruto..."

After a half hour later of explaining on the plot Kurumu had to win over Tsukune and outdo Moka, why she was in search of a male companion, and the thorough beating the blond received from Moka, Kurumu went silent. She was pretty sure that Naruto was pissed; she couldn't blame him, really. Who would? He was used by her just so she could get some boy to like her in order to make Moka jealous. She felt horrible about it, in all honesty. She wanted to remain friends with Naruto, or at the very least on indifferent terms with him.

"I see." Naruto stated calmly, "So...I was under a charm the whole time?"

"Yeah, that was my doing." Kurumu replied quietly, "I understand if you won't want to talk to me anymore. I don't blame you, really. For what it's worth, Naruto-kun, I'm sorry."

"I forgive you, Kurumu."

Kurumu looked up to see Naruto giving her a gentle smile, "W-what?"

Naruto grinned, the bandage covering one of his eyes as he looked to her, "People do crazy things when it comes to family. I'm sure your parents would do the same to insure there are more Succubi in the future, right?"

"Naruto...I _used _you."

Naruto waved a hand, "Yeah, I know. I will admit, I'm still a bit hurt by that, but I can understand; desperate situations call for desperate measures. I'll admit it right now, Moka's a pretty girl, though I don't think she's my type. For you, it's a matter of competition. You're looking for your Destined One, but she could be taking away the possible person's attention."

Kurumu didn't know whether to sigh in relief, or cry in guilt. She instead walked over to Naruto and hugged him, "I promise that I won't go and use you like that ever again, Naruto." She sighed, "You're a truly kind person, and possibly the only friend I have here. For me to go and do that..." She let go, looking away again, "It's unforgivable."

"Not really; I just forgave you." Naruto replied. That earned a sniffle followed by a laugh from Kurumu as she forced back a few tears, "Now, please don't cry, alright? We've learned from it, no sense in dwelling on it. You even said it yourself that Tsukune and Moka want to start fresh with you, right?"

"Y-yeah. They did."

Naruto's grin grew, "Great! You can show them what an awesome person you really are! I'm sure Tsukune will see that you can be just as kind as Moka, and then you can show him your awesome cookie baking skills!"

Kurumu chuckled a little while wiping away a tear. Was there any way to upset him? It was almost infuriating how Naruto just blew off the whole ordeal like it was nothing. No normal person would have done that! She certainly wouldn't have if she had been in Naruto's shoes.

"Naruto...I...I want to start over with you too." Kurumu began, "So...do you think-?"

Naruto gave her a thumbs up, "You bet, Kurumu-chan! Besides, who am I going to make the pound cake for Home Economics class with?"

Kurumu smiled with a small blush on her face, "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

Maybe, just maybe, she would be able to make friends with Naruto and the others after all.

Later on that evening Naruto was allowed to leave the hospital. Kurumu walked home with him just to make sure he was completely alright, and after taking a nice shower, the blond retired for the night.

* * *

"Un..." Naruto groaned as he got out of his bed. He looked at his clock, blinking to clear his eyes of bleariness, "Huh?" The clock read half past five in the morning. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "Why the hell did I wake up at this time of the day?"

_Plink!_

Naruto was on alert immediately, dropping to the ground and looking towards the window. _Something_ hit his dorm room window, he swore it!

_Plink!_

"What the-?" Naruto stood up, and looked down outside.

"Naruto! Hey, down here!"

The blond rubbed his eyes before opening the window, immediately assaulted by the cool morning air, "Kurumu-chan? What are you doing out here?"

Kurumu grinned, pebble in hand, "I was trying to get your attention! I was throwing pebbles at your window."

"I can see that..._why_?"

Kurumu looked a bit sheepish, "Er...well, the cafeteria serves breakfast at six, and...well, I was wondering if you wanted to join me for something to eat."

Naruto didn't have class until eight, but he didn't see the harm in being up early, "Sure, why not? Give me a few minutes to get changed."

Five minutes later the two were walking towards the school, the crisp and cool air blowing gently as they talked quietly. It was still early, and relatively quiet, so neither of them wanted to disturb the relative calm.

"How are you feeling?" Kurumu inquired as she looked to the blond.

Naruto gave a smile, "Hale and hearty, Kurumu-chan! A bit tired, but that's just because I'm not a morning person."

Kurumu giggled, "Well, you can get some coffee then." Her laughter continued as he made a face at the mention of the traditional morning brew, "Let me guess; not a coffee person either?"

"Blech, hell no. I drank that stuff once when I was traveling with my godfather and I nearly choked on it."

"Well that's probably because you didn't add any sweetener or sugar. Some people prefer their coffee black, others like it sweet. You just have to find a balance that suits you." Kurumu explained, "My mom personally enjoys tea more."

"Tea I can bare with."

"Yuck." Kurumu shuddered, "That stuff is so bitter."

"So is coffee." Naruto retorted with a grin. Kurumu just stuck her tongue out at the blond.

The two found seats in the nearly empty mess hall and dined on some eggs and ham—and two giant pancakes in Naruto's case—while talking about their other classes.

"I'm not a big fan of studying, to be honest." Kurumu said while finishing her ham, "It's never been like me to do sit down and read all day."

"Yeah, I'm the same. I have to make several clones in..." Naruto cursed himself for speaking out about his abilities, hoping Kurumu didn't catch it.

"Clones?" She was quiet for a moment, "Oh! Yeah, I remember that!" She leaned forward a bit, "Is...that part of your true monster identity?"

Naruto mentally let out a sigh of relief, "Y-yeah, it is. I...I have a few powers, and making clones of myself is one of them."

"That's so neat!" Kurumu said in a hushed whisper, "I've never heard of that before."

"Really? Heheh, it comes pretty natural to me. Maybe I can teach you how to do that as well."

Kurumu's eyes were the size of saucers, "Seriously? Is that possible? I-I mean...isn't that an ability exclusive to your breed of monster?"

Naruto scratched his cheek, "I'm not sure. Never know until we try, right? Although, I think you could probably stand to learn how to control your chakra first. I doubt you had any basic lessons in that area. Maybe taijutsu as well..." Naruto's thoughts began to wander, "Not to be rude, but you were definitely lacking in a basic form yesterday."

Kurumu felt a twinge of anger wash over her, "Well of course. Moka's a freaking vampire. What do you expect? You got beaten yourself, if I recall correctly."

Naruto shrugged, "Fair enough, we both need work."

Kurumu shook her head, "I don't know, it'll have to wait until later on when we're completely adjusted to classes."

"I guess you're right." The blond shoveled in some of his pancakes, "So, you talk to Moka and Tsukune yet?"

"Yeah..." Kurumu slouched a bit, "...they...they were pretty accepting of my apology, but, I still feel bad." She perked up a bit, "Still, they want to be friends, and that's what matters. Besides, I can get Tsukune to like me without my powers as well..."

"Yeah, just show him how good of a person you are and-"

"...I'll just seduce him with my body!"

Naruto nearly spit out his food and had to swallow down some of his tea to avoid choking. He coughed a bit, and Kurumu was ready to give him the Heimlich maneuver when he spoke, "K-Kurumu, don't you think that's a bit much?"

"No...why?"

Oh, where to begin? Her bust size easily outranked that of most girls twice her age, and while he wouldn't admit it out loud, Naruto wouldn't trust himself if she was in a swimming suit and standing before him.

_"Bad thoughts, Naruto! Bad thoughts!" _Naruto waved a hand, "W-well, I mean, I'm not a pro at this stuff, but don't you think personality is important in getting someone to like you?"

"Well, yeah, but first I'm going to use my natural talents to make him fall head over heels for me." Kurumu spoke as if it was the most obvious answer, "It's what we Succubi do."

"So, are there only female Succubi, or are there males too?" Naruto asked, "I hate to see how the men of your breed act..."

"Well, the males of our kind are Incubus. We Succubi don't see many of them. They're kind of separate from us, strangely enough."

"...okay..." Naruto replied.

Kurumu groaned, "Look, long story short, Succubi need to find a male outside of their kind in order to have children. That explain enough?"

"Fine, I won't pry." Naruto shook his head, "Why are you so determined to get Tsukune to like you?"

Kurumu set down her fork and looked the blond right in the eyes, "I believe he's my Destined One. You recall me explaining that last night, right?"

"Yeah...how do you know he is, though?"

"Well," she let out a dreamy sigh, "He's charming, cute, sensitive, brave...and cute..."

"Uh-huh." Naruto felt a pang of jealousy run through him, "So, what about Moka-chan?"

Kurumu grinned, "I'll just have to outdo her, that's all!"

Naruto forced a smile onto his face; for some reason or another, he felt frustrated, "Oh. Then do your best, heheh..."

Kurumu couldn't help but notice the way Naruto's laugh seemed forced. She still wasn't too familiar with him, but she could tell when a person was hiding something, "Naruto, are you okay?"

"Yeah, just peachy." He got up, "I better get going. I want to get some exercise in for the day before class today."

The Succubus frowned, "Alright. See you in class." She waved goodbye to the blond, still feeling like she had said something that upset him.

* * *

"Alright class, I have the quizzes graded! When I call your name, please come up and collect them." Nekonome spoke with a cheerful smile, "I must add that I was pleasantly surprised with the majority of the class. Three of you got full points, and the class average was in the B range! Well done!"

Naruto was one of the last to be called up. As he picked up his paper, Nekonome spoke, "Uzumaki-san, if you would, I'd like to speak to you after class about certain matters. Is that alright?"

"Uh..." Naruto had gym fifteen minutes after this class, but if she wished to speak to him, he would appease her. After all, she had a nice smile, and that always helped, "Sure, Nekonome-sensei."

"Great! Thank you Uzumaki-san!"

Naruto looked at his paper as he sat back in his desk, and groaned. There was a C+ on the upper right corner of his paper with a little smiley face of Nekonome-sensei, along with a little speech bubble saying, _'Keep trying!'_

The lecture was relatively dull, although Naruto did appreciate the enthusiasm Nekonome had for the topic of 'Human History'. Naruto personally was new to the topic as well, apparently. After all, this world, his world, and the 'human' world were three separate entities.

When the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Naruto got his things packed up and waved goodbye to Tsukune and Moka, who were heading towards art class.

"Nekonome-sensei, what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

Naruto's homeroom teacher smiled a little as she took a seat, "Naruto-kun, you know of a girl by the name Mizore Shirayuki, correct?"

"Mizore-chan?" Naruto gave a grin, "Only the best dodge ball partner in all of Youkai Academy", he chuckled a little as Nekonome gave a nod while giggling a bit, "What about her?"

"Well, to be honest...she has yet to actually show up to home room."

"Really?" Naruto scratched his head, "Is she okay?"

"Well, you see her in gym, so she's fine, right?"

Naruto shrugged, "She's not much of a talker, really. I mean, she's nice, and she's not really rude or anything. I just don't know her incredibly well." He looked up, "What's her homeroom class anyway?"

"Mine." Nekonome replied, "She actually sits in front of you."

"Eh???" Naruto blinked, but it made sense. He always had an empty seat in front of him—which severely limited his ability to sleep in classes since no one sat in front of him—and he had become used to it quickly.

"I would like it if you can ask her if she will start coming to home room. Don't pressure her, but just let her know that I'm here to talk with her if she's having problems."

Naruto gave a nod, "Sure thing. I'll talk to her in gym class as soon as I can." With a quick thumbs up and wave, Naruto darted down the halls toward the boys gym locker rooms. He quickly got into his gym attire and headed outside to the soccer field where the class was gathering today. Naruto was able to pinpoint the light purple hair that belonged to the elusive girl. He headed towards the girl, but halted when he saw Kotsubo Okuto walk up to her. They talked for a moment or two; it looked like they were arguing almost, if Naruto was reading facial expressions right. They were speaking in low tones though, but he knew something was up.

Kotsubo eventually left Mizore, a scowl on his face while she looked rather distraught. Naruto approached the lavender haired girl, "Mizore-chan?"

Mizore turned towards Naruto, and her face lit up, "Oh, Naruto. Hello." She looked away, "Um...if we can, do you want to be on the same team as me?"

Naruto was a bit surprised by the immediate invitation to be teammates again, but gave her a grin while nodding, "You bet!"

Kotsubo eventually had the teams made, "Alright, kids, I'm sure you all know the rules of soccer, so let's get started shall we?"

* * *

The game started off with Naruto making the first goal within a minute's time. It wasn't much of a surprise to see Naruto and Mizore's team ahead four to two by the time the game was over.

"Heheh, wow, that was awesome!" Naruto sighed as he took a minute to breath, "Hey, Mizore-chan, great game!"

Mizore looked away while smiling, "Thanks, Naruto. You're pretty good at sports..." She chuckled as Naruto pulled a few strains of grass out of his hair, "You could stand to maybe not get so dirty though."

"Bah, the grass stains and dirt are just proof of my victory." Naruto flexed a bicep while Mizore chuckled. Then Naruto remembered what he had been meaning to ask Mizore from the start, "Hey, Mizore-chan, um..." He scratched his chin while trying to find the proper way to state his question, "...my homeroom teacher said that you're actually in the same class as me. She was wondering why you haven't been attending homeroom lately..."

"Y-you're in my homeroom class?" Mizore asked, a bit surprised by this apparent revelation, "I..only went to the first day, and well..." She sighed, "Naruto, I'm not a big fan of class. I..."

"What's the matter, Mizore-chan?" Naruto asked when she became silent, "Is something wrong? If it's because of classes, I'm sure Nekonome-sensei would be happy to help with-"

"Naruto, I'm not a big fan of crowds." Mizore replied.

"Really?" Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Why do you go to gym class then?"

Mizore frowned, "I like sports...and you're here. I'm kind of a loner for the most part. You're such a nice guy though, so I don't mind gym so much with you here." She looked to him, smiling once more, "If you want...I'll start going to homeroom class again."

Naruto laughed, "Well, yeah, that'd be great, but it's not for my sake, Mizore-chan! It's for you too! I mean, it can only help your grades, right?"

Mizore nodded, "Right."

After gym was done, Naruto was surprised to see Mizore waiting for him in the hall. He grinned, "Hey, Mizore-chan. What's up?"

Mizore blushed a bit, "Um...it's almost lunch time. Do you want to get a bite to eat?"

Naruto's stomach beat him to the punch with a growl, "Heheh, yeah, I guess I am pretty hungry. I hope they're serving ramen today..."

"I don't think they have a ramen bar in the cafeteria, Naruto." Mizore stated while inserting a sucker into her mouth, "They do have ice cream though."

"Well, they ought to get a ramen bar. It's a crime against humanity to deny a person their ramen."

"Ramen's too hot for my tastes." Mizore smiled as Naruto gave her an appalled look, "What?"

Naruto shook his head while mumbling something about people and lack of fine dining. Mizore just giggled as Naruto pouted, deciding that maybe that he'd settle for some ham sandwiches instead.

Naruto and Mizore reached the cafeteria in time to beat the large mass of students. As they took their respective lunches outside, Naruto noted two familiar figures running towards him.

"Tsukune, Kurumu-chan!" Naruto's smile dropped as he took in the duo's appearance. Tsukune had a fairly large bruise over his head accompanied by a nice-sized bump, and Kurumu had an ice pack pressed against her forehead, "What the hell happened to you two?"

Tsukune sighed, "Naruto, we need your help."

"Sure, what's the problem?"

Kurumu decided to reply, "Snotty little brats who think they can get away with murder, that's what's the problem. Come on, she's over this way!"

"Who?" Naruto asked.

"Just follow me. Keep a look out for falling pans and kettles." Kurumu replied as she heading off in the direction she had come from.

Naruto quirked an eyebrow before turning to Tsukune, who simply shook his head and followed the Succubus. Naruto looked to Mizore, who appeared to be just as clueless as he did. They headed towards the direction his two friends were heading in, hoping that everything was okay.

**End of Chapter Two- Yep, another chapter done! Woo! I enjoyed this quite a bit while I typed it up; I guess the idea of Naruto in the RV universe seems to be so well suited (in my mind at least). Much more lulz and action to come with the next chapter.**

**Well, hope you've all enjoyed this chapter! Until then, keep on reading!**


	3. Acceptance

**Disclaimer: Yep, still don't own Naruto or Rosario+Vampire. Unless I somehow find a way to reverse the flow of time so that I can go back far enough to invent the two series, I don't think I ever will own them, either. Naruto is property of Masashi Kishimoto, and Rosario+Vampire is the property of Akihisa Ikeda.**

**Rosario+Jinchuuriki  
Chapter Three: Acceptance**

"So, run this by me one more time?" Naruto spoke as he looked to the peculiar scene before him. Moka was trying to keep an eleven year old girl from glomping her to death. Said eleven year old girl seemed to be having the time of her life, if the laughing and smiling were any indication to him.

Tsukune sighed, "This girl's name is Yukari Sendou, and apparently she's 'in love' with Moka."

Now, Naruto was never one to question a person's preferences in the realm of love and affections, but this just seemed to be jumping out of left field in his eyes, "...okay, why does she 'love' Moka?"

"She's eleven years old, sticks out like a sore-thumb, Moka stood up for her against some jerks, and Moka's _beauty_ just added icing to the cake." Kurumu replied, "The girl's also a genius, or so she says."

"Judging from her appearance, a witch too." Mizore commented, "I can only imagine how hard it is for a boundary being like herself."

"Boundary...being?" Naruto repeated, "What are you talking about? I know what a witch is, but..."

Mizore nodded, pulling out her sucker to let out a breath of air before placing back in her mouth, "Well, from what I understand, boundary beings are races that border between human and supernatural beings."

Naruto scratched his head, "Okay..."

Kurumu continued for Mizore, "I mean, think about it, a witch can simply be a human that uses magic. Still, what _normal_ human can do things like call upon nature or create fire, stuff like that?" She folded her arms and shook her head, "The boundary beings have been discriminated against for ages, by both humans and monsters. The witch burnings back in the olden days were real events. Some of the people were real witches, too."

Naruto had no clue what Kurumu meant by witch burnings, but understood enough: this girl was a genius, probably having a hard time adjusting to school life, especially since she was younger than everyone else, _and_ she was part of a group that Naruto himself could sort of relate to.

"Sounds harsh." Naruto sighed, "Give me a second, I'll see what I can do."

"Watch out for her wand. It causes headaches." Tsukune said weakly while rubbing a sore spot on his cranium.

Naruto approached Moka and the girl named Yukari. Moka's eyes lit up, and she smiled, almost as if she was grateful to see a familiar face, "Ah, Naruto-kun! How are you?" She did her best to hold Yukari in place as the girl snuggled against her bosom, "Have you met Yukari yet?"

Naruto grinned his best grin, and looked to the girl, "Howdy, Yukari-chan. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the-"

"I know who you are." Yukari spoke, surprising the blond, "You're the top student in gym, but that's about it. Your grades are around average, and horrendous in mathematics."

"Okay, for the record, I've never taken any of that advanced calculus stuff until this year." Naruto spoke, already feeling his patience slip, "So, Yukari, um...can I ask why you dropped frying pans and stuff on my friends Tsukune and Kurumu?"

Yukari grinned mischievously, "That's because Tsukune's in the way of my love!"

"Your love?" Naruto repeated, "What love?"

"My love for Moka-chan!" Yukari replied with a squeal, holding Moka close, "Tsukune doesn't deserve her! She's too good for him! With my magic wand, I can keep him and any other stupid guys away from her." To emphasize her point, she pulled out a rather cute looking wand of sorts with a heart shape to it, "So back off, or I'll do the same to you!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow, and a moment later, felt a need to look up. His eyes were met with the sight of a large sauce pan floating over his head. A light bulb went on in his head, and Kurumu and Tsukune's complaining finally made sense.

_ Conk!!_

_ Poof!_

"Ahahaha! I got...huh?" Yukari's laughing stopped abruptly as she saw a log standing in the spot Naruto had been just moments ago, sauce pan clanging to the ground beside it.

"Hm, weird ability," spoke the voice of Naruto. Yukari whirled around to see Naruto sitting on a bench behind them, "It's almost like my own, but you seem to have to rely on that item in order to use your power, right?"

Yukari pouted a bit, "How did you do that?"

Naruto smirked, getting up from his seat. He went over to the younger girl, and patted her gently on the head, "Trade secret. I'm afraid if I told you I'd have to silence you."

The young witch's eyes narrowed, and she pushed Naruto's hand away. She felt a brief flash of some kind of energy when he disappeared earlier, however subtle it was, she sensed it. She studied Naruto a bit more before raising her wand again. In a puff of smoke, several brooms appeared out of thin air. She spun her wand around once before the brooms came to life, and began to swing at Naruto.

Naruto faded quickly from view, and the brooms all broke in half. Yukari blinked once in confusion as Naruto cracked his neck a bit, "That's pretty neat! You can summon different objects to fight with, huh?"

"It's _magic_!" She took a step forward, "Here's a question for you! How are you able to move so fast in your human form? Huh?"

Naruto just laughed, "Years of practice."

Yukari just glowered at the blond, "Yeah, well, I'm still smarter than you! Moka-chan will never love someone as dumb as you or Tsukune!"

"Someone's got an ego." grumbled the voice of Tsukune, who was now standing beside Naruto, "Yukari, look, I don't know what you have against us, but I don't see why you have to be so defensive around us. Can't we just all get along?"

"Tsukune's got a point, Yukari." Moka spoke, "They are my friends, after all."

Yukari looked to Moka before sighing, "Is...is that how you feel, Moka?"

"Um...yes?" Moka replied, "Naruto-kun and Tsukune-kun are the first two friends I made in Youkai, and Kurumu's a friend of mine as well."

Yukari frowned, "Oh..." Her head drooped a bit, and she became quiet.

Naruto immediately noticed the drop in the young witch's mood, "Hey, look, Yukari, I know you kind of had a bad start with us, but we're willing to have a fresh-"

"Moka! I'll show you how much you truly mean to me! I'll win you from Tsukune and the others! You'll see how special I truly am!" Yukari shouted while pointing her wand into the air, "Goodbye, Moka-chan!" She took off, waving her wand in the air as she did so. The slightly irked expression never left Naruto's face as he quickly pulled Tsukune a few steps to the left, a pan narrowly missing the boy. Tsukune gave Naruto a confused look, but decided not to question Naruto's impeccable ability at avoiding the dangerous cooking ware, just relieved at not having another bruise on his head.

* * *

The rest of the day passed by with little incident. Mizore finally met the rest of the group, and in a not so tactful manner pointed out the fact that Kurumu was being a bit overbearing by glomping Tsukune every time she got the chance, shoving her bosom into his face. Kurumu simply stated that Mizore was jealous of her superior bust.

Naruto swore the air grew several degrees cooler after that retort. He swore he even heard the distinct sound of frost crunching underneath their feet as they walked across the campus grounds. He took note that Mizore was also looking down her shirt at one point, mumbling something about 'not mature enough yet' or so he thought. He luckily decided to look away as she did so, years of being with Jiraiya teaching him what happened when women saw men looking at them in such predicaments.

It was towards the end of the day in Naruto's homeroom class that he found his thoughts drifting back to the young witch they had encountered earlier. According to what Moka had said after Yukari left them at lunch, the young girl's homeroom was across the hall from theirs. He could imagine that Yukari would likely try to get to Moka as soon as possible. He had an idea, and if his assumptions on what she went through were correct, he may be able to get her to stop bothering them, and maybe even become friends with her.

* * *

"Alright, class, remember, a three page paper on the differences in human and monster norms by next Monday. Please don't forget!" Nekonome-sensei spoke over the shuffling of student's books and backpacks. Naruto quickly exited the class, waiting for Moka and Tsukune as they exited in unison.

Sure enough, he saw the distinct pointed hat of Yukari heading towards the trio. He smiled, and patted Tsukune on the shoulder, "I've got to take care of something. I'll talk to you later about getting the paper for Nekonome-sensei started, okay?"

Tsukune nodded, "Sure thing, Naruto."

Naruto quickly walked on ahead, and caught Yukari by the collar as she nearly walked past him, "Hello, Yukari-chan!"

Yukari's eyes widened before she glared at Naruto, "What do _you_ want, dummy?"

Naruto gave a mock frown, "Ouch. I was hoping for a warmer greeting than that." She just gave him a flat look, "Look, Yukari-chan. I want to talk to you about something."

"What would that something be?" Yukari replied, "I don't need to be wasting time with you when I could be talking with Moka-chan."

"Look, Yukari, the longer I spend time around you, the more of my younger self I'm seeing in you." He noticed her frown lessen a bit, "Kurumu and Mizore explained to me about the way witches are treated."

Yukari's eyes narrowed, "So??"

"If I promise to buy you a juice, will you give me a half an hour to talk?"

"Are you trying to lure me into one of those scenarios parents always talk about with their kids involving strangers?" Yukari asked suspiciously.

"Huh? What are you-oh! No! No, no! Look, Yukari, let's just say that I had a childhood that was crappy as well." Naruto saw her visibly relax as his smile became softer, "I can tell that despite all those smiles and all that loud shouting you made today, you're alone."

Yukari was quiet for a moment before speaking, "I like orange juice."

* * *

Naruto and Yukari sat on a bench behind the main campus building. Yukari sat on the opposite side while sipping on her juice as Naruto looked up to the sky, "Yukari, is it true that you're more human than the rest of the students in this school?"

"Yeah, you could say that." Yukari replied, drinking from her straw, "Witches are boundary beings."

Naruto nodded, as though clarifying something, "So, your group is kind of considered a bunch of outcasts, right?"

"...well..." Yukari looked to the ground, "My mom says that things have gotten better for us over the years, but witches are still sort of isolated from other monsters. A lot of times, others just ignore us, but a lot of monsters still persecute us."

Naruto frowned, "Even monsters act dumb, huh?"

Yukari raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

Naruto looked to the girl, "Yukari, you ever heard of..." He stopped himself from talking further, and quickly changed his mind, "...I guess what I'm trying to say is that I lived my whole life without a mother or father. I had no family, actually. I was ignored by my entire village where I was born. If it wasn't for the...mayor...of my village, I'm sure I would have died on the streets years ago."

Yukari had stopped drinking her juice, "You mean you're an orphan?"

"Yep."

"How did your parents die?"

"I'm not certain. All I know is that I never was told who they were, and that I was left alone until I finally made a few friends in my third year of...uh...elementary...? Yeah! Elementary school. I finally made a few good friends at that time, but even then, they hardly knew me." He sighed, "I started to feel really alone. I tried to draw attention to myself by pulling pranks. It pissed off a lot of people, but I still was noticed."

"Pranks?"

Naruto laughed, "Yeah, I was a stupid kid when I was about your age." He looked back up to the sky, "I don't like talking about it because I hate thinking about the past and regretting things. I managed to turn out alright, and I took my friends in and made them into a family."

"How come you weren't adopted? Surely someone was willing to take you in, right?" Yukari asked. Naruto found it funny how quickly she had turned from indifferent to concerned. Then again, relaying his life's 'tragedies' had that kind of effect on people.

"I was born with a...condition." Naruto answered.

"A condition? Like what, a disease?"

Naruto laughed, "I wish that were the case."

"Then what?" Yukari pressed.

"I'd rather not say. It's nothing that would affect anyone, really, just me." He sat up, "Yukari, I'm just trying to say this. You're young," He noticed her frown, "It's true. You're eleven years old, and attending a school several grades ahead of where many kids your age would be."

"Yeah, I know. I get that a lot." Yukari grumbled, "If you're trying to tell me to act less like a brat and more-"

"I just want you to stop hiding who you are from us." Naruto interrupted. Yukari looked to him with surprise as he smiled, "I myself hid behind the mask of a stupid grinning idiot who liked eating ramen, pulling pranks, and loving the color orange. People mocked me all the time, and I just pretended it didn't bother me." He stood up, "In truth, I was just a pathetic lonely boy who wanted someone to acknowledge me. I can see that you're attempting to do the same."

The witch stood up, "What are you talking about?"

"You're putting up a front."

"I am not!"

Naruto smiled a little, "Yeah you are."

"Am _not_!" Yukari shouted.

Naruto was about to give a retort, but was interrupted by another voice, "Well, so this is where the little witch brat was hiding."

The two looked towards the voice's direction to see several male students walking towards them. Yukari took a step back, which Naruto noticed, "What's wrong?"

"That's the class representative. He...he's the one that Moka-san protected me from earlier today!"

Naruto looked at the girl incredulously, "The class _representative_ tried to attack you?"

Yukari nodded, "He said I was an immature brat. I...I did use some magic on him, and probably could have avoided it. He was being mean, though."

Naruto sighed, looking back to the group as he stood up "Hey there, can I help you guys?"

"Naruto Uzumaki. What are you doing associating with this filth?"

Naruto felt his hand twitch. He grinned a bit, "Filth? Hehehe, what are you talking about? Yukari-chan's a great person!"

"What, you didn't know?" The apparent leader, who must have been the representative, asked, "She's a witch. A half-breed. A _mongrel_, and part human at that. She's worse than the hybrid monsters running around."

"You see, that's the kind of talk that starts fights." Naruto laughed while taking a step forward, "Looking, I don't know what kind of tiff you have with Yukari-chan, but I'd rather you not call her such names. She's a student, and from what I heard, one of _the_ smartest students Youkai Academy's had in ages."

Naruto could make out the reptilian irises now appearing on the leader's face, and his teeth were becoming sharper in appearance, "She's a disgrace to this entire school! She needs to be dealt with!"

"You don't want to do this." Naruto laughed, digging into his pocket for a kunai, "Trust me, you attack her and someone's going to find out."

"You're defending her?" one of the male students hissed, "You're just as bad as her!"

"I suppose I am, huh?" Naruto spoke, "That's fine by me. How about this; you defeat me, and then you can deal with Yukari-chan."

The class representative hissed, "Fine, it's your funeral!"

Naruto leaned back as a clawed hand swiped at him. He whistled a bit as he took in the enemies' appearance, "Damn, you guys are ugly!"

What once were humans now were lizard-like beings, scales and all. They stood on two legs, had claws, teeth, and spines running down their backs. They hissed as they all attacked Naruto at once.

"Don't act so tough! You're outnumbered and don't stand a chance!" the leader spoke. Naruto hopped back as a tail lashed out at him.

"Naruto, look out!" Yukari shouted.

Naruto whirled around to see one of the scaled fiends lunging at him, maw wide open to take a bite out of him. The shinobi jumped into the air, landing on the lizard's back, driving him into the ground. He quickly hopped off and whipped out a kunai from his pocket, blocking a clawed hand.

"What the hell are you carrying weapons around for?" growled the lizard man.

"Because idiots like you exist." the blond replied before decking him in the jaw and following up with a roundhouse kick. Another lizard tried to tackle him to the ground, but Naruto caught him and flipped him over his back. He spun his kunai around in his hand several times before beckoning two more of the reptilian beasts towards him with a hand.

All the while, Yukari watched in awe. Why was he defending her? She had been nothing but mean to this guy, yet he was protecting her! She didn't know what to make of it, but she knew that this Naruto Uzumaki was possibly one of the most skilled hand-to-hand fighters she had ever seen. Then again, she had never seen a single person take on about six lizard men before.

Naruto caught a lizard in the jaw with his elbow before ducking and catching another one of the reptiles by the neck and slamming him into his shoulder, causing the beast to gasp for air. He spun the stunned monster around once before throwing him into another one of his companions. Much to his dismay, the lizards that he knocked down were quickly getting up, a bit wobbly, but otherwise appearing relatively unharmed.

"Damn, they're tougher than they look. Looks like I'll have to take this up a notch after all." Naruto made his favorite hand seal before shouting, "_**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**_!"

Seven clones of Naruto appeared out of a large plume of smoke. The lizard men halted in their tracks, and took in the scene before them, "He made copies of himself??"

"Don't be stupid! He's just created an illusion! Get the real one!"

Naruto mentally chuckled as two clones ran at the leading lizard before delivering a foot to the face. The monster cried in pain as his snout made an audible cracking sound, blood spurting out from his nostrils. The other lizards looked to see their leader had been downed, and rather easily at that.

"Th-they are real!" Shouted one of the lizards, "How did he do that?!"

Naruto smirked, "I can make more, if you like."

One of the bigger reptilian monsters growled, "You're bluffing."

"No, seriously, watch." Naruto put his hands into the familiar seal, and thirty more clones appeared. Naruto and his clones stood in place while the group of lizard men began to back away.

"Damn it," growled the leader as he got up, holding his nose, "Get him! He's just one guy!!"

"Oi, boss, I don't think they're getting the predicament." whispered one of the clones to Naruto, "Are we going at this full force?"

Naruto nodded, "They don't seem like they'll learn unless they get the tar beaten out of them." Naruto noticed a few more of his clones looking at him expectantly, "...fine, thirty percent power, if even that much. We've got this in the bag."

* * *

Several minutes later found a mass of twitching scaled bodies lying before Naruto. He dispersed the rest of his clones, and hummed to himself, "Huh...hey, Yukari, did you know these guys have three eyelids? One of my clones just told me that...weird, huh?"

Yukari just stood in amazement, before walking towards the blond, "Why did you help me? You had no reason to help me, especially since I was being so mean to you guys and-"

Naruto put a hand on her shoulder, "Sometimes it's okay to ask others for help, and to be scared. I learned that the hard way, and started to rely on my friends a little more." He grinned as the witch began to tear up a bit, "Yukari, what do you say? Friends?"

"I..." She sniffled a bit, "You want to be my friend?"

"It's not fun being alone. This is coming from first-hand experience." the blond replied, giving her a big grin, chuckling a bit as he did so. He extended his hand, offering it to her to shake.

Yukari sniffled some more before crying openly. She ignored the offered hand, instead jumping into Naruto's arms while practically bawling. Naruto laughed, and found the death grip of a hug she had him in comforting.

Naruto couldn't help but think about how similar their predicaments were. Naruto and her both tried to hide behind a mischievous prankster persona, though Naruto had grown out of that habit a few years back. Both had a condition that they had no control over that made others hate them. The one upside in Yukari's case was that she had both of her parents still.

"Naruto?"

The blond turned to look at the witch, "What's up, Yukari-chan?"

"What about Tsukune, Moka, Kurumu, and Mizore? Will they be angry with me?"

"Ah," the shinobi just waved a hand, "If you just apologize, and truly be honest with them, I'm positive they'll forgive you."

Yukari smiled, "Thanks, Naruto."

"Bah, you can thank me by helping me with my math homework. That crap is driving me insane." Naruto grumbled, to which Yukari simply giggled.

"It's a deal! Does that mean I get to be your tutor?"

Naruto gave her a lopsided grin, "I guess so. Hm, I sure hope that Moka doesn't take that badly. She's been helping me with logarithms for a few days now, and I think she's actually enjoying it. You may as well sign Tsukune up as well; he's only a little better than me in that area."

Yukari gave Naruto a thumbs up, "You bet!"

"Naruto, there you are!"

Naruto looked up to see Tsukune, along with Moka, Kurumu, and Mizore, heading towards him. The four stopped as they took in the scene before them. Moka's eyes widened as she noted the large, scaled beasts littering the ground, "Ah, Naruto-kun, what happened here?"

Naruto smiled while scratching the back of his head, "Heh, Yukari was having some trouble with these punks here. I decided to lend her a hand."

"W-wait, you took on all these guys...by _yourself_?" Kurumu asked, her voice showing more amazement than skepticism, "How?"

"Trade secret; he'd have to silence you after telling you!" Yukari spoke, flashing a smile to Naruto.

Shortly after Naruto briefly explained what had happened—while leaving out the details about his jutsu—Yukari apologized to the others, yet proclaimed she would still try to win over the affections of Moka someday.

Needless to say, Yukari had become a friend of the group, and stated that tomorrow she would help Tsukune and Naruto with their homework, but only under the condition that they could have snacks while they studied.

* * *

Later that night, after Naruto had arrived back to his dorm room, he sat on his bed, looking at the still wrapped package he had received from Tsunade before leaving for this school. He felt nervous, but he was unsure as to _why_. This was Tsunade and Shizune, two of the few women in his life that he truly felt were like family to him. He had nothing to worry about with a little package from them!

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling as he began to pull on one of the strings tied over the box. Eventually the knot loosened, as did the brown paper wrapping it together. He unfolded the paper, which revealed three separate scrolls. One was orange and labeled _'To Naruto'_ on it. He decided to open this particularly bright colored scroll first, seeing as it was in Tsunade's handwriting.

Unraveling the scroll, he saw more of the Godaime's handwriting.

_Naruto,_

_ I guess I should come out and say that I have always favored you the most out of the shinobi in Konoha, although Sakura's a close second in my book. Since the day you and Jiraiya dragged me back to Konoha, I found myself feeling more and more alive, despite the dreadful amount of paperwork that comes with the title of Hokage. In a way, I have to thank you for saving me from myself, Naruto. You've helped me see these last couple of years that running from my past will never end with good results. You've made me stronger, and helped me realize that being Hokage is the greatest honor one can be given in Konoha, not some stupid title given to a fool who has a death wish._

_ I cannot say that I've always been the best person in the world when it comes to showing how much I care for those I have in my life, but please never doubt for a moment that you are important to __me. That importance extends to all your friends as well, shinobi or not. You've made so many people realize that willpower and believing in yourself can make anything possible. I'm a prime example of your ability to help others._

_ I will always be willing to help you _(Naruto noted that the ink was becoming slightly smudged at this point in the letter)_ and that you are truly important to me. I think it's about time I admit it; you are like a grandson, or even a son, to me, Naruto. I love you like family, and if I ever lost you, I'd probably never fully heal from that. Don't feel bad to know this; it's just how much I care for you._

_ Be sure to take care of yourself. I know it's a school, but try to enjoy it, despite the atmosphere. Yes, I _am_ aware of the fact that it's a school for monsters. No, I do not think you're a demon, so get that thought out of your head this instant. It was simply the best choice available. The Chairman of the school has a vast amount of knowledge in seals, and he's probably one of the more capable people to help you should something go wrong, heaven forbid. Above all else, you're safe there. No one can harm you there. We can still communicate with each other—by the way, the seal design for moving between our worlds is sealed within Jiraiya's scroll—and I am not abandoning you._

_Until we meet again, Naruto, stay safe. I'll see you soon enough._

_ Love, Tsunade_

Naruto set down the scroll, hands shaking a bit. She knew he was going to a school like_ this_? Why didn't she tell him all this beforehand? For his safety?

He decided to wait, and unraveled the scroll, revealing a containment seal. He pressed upon it and inserted chakra into the seal marking. It glowed a blue color, blinding him momentarily. He opened his eyes again to see two items had appeared before him, having been released from the seal. One of these items was a plain white box. He noted a tag indicating it was from Shizune. Opening it, he felt his jaw drop as he laid eyes upon a uniform of sorts. He quirked an eyebrow as he found a small folded note tucked inside the clothing. Unfolding it, he read it.

_Naruto,_

_ Tsunade-sama has no idea I'm giving you this. This is a uniform for ANBU captains of Konoha. I made sure the size would fit you. I feel that even if you're a student of Youkai Academy, you're _still_ a shinobi. Should you go and do anything 'shinobi-related', please be sure to wear something to keep your identity hidden. There's no wooden ANBU mask, since giving you one would be really cutting it close with going against protocol. The collar has a face mask extension though, so you'll be able to keep a good portion of your face covered. _

_ Just promise you won't let Tsunade-sama know where you got this from, okay? Eat right, study hard, get plenty of sleep, and make friends! I look forward to the day I get to see you again!_

_Shizune_

Naruto laughed, realizing that for once Shizune was being rebellious and going behind authority's back. He put the uniform back into the box before opening the box from Tsunade.

"Oh...wow..." Naruto spoke softly as he opened the box up. Naruto held in the box lay many assorted packets of what looked like seeds.

It's a little known fact that Naruto has a fond love for plants. He always enjoyed caring for them, regardless of what kind of plant they were, be it a rose, a fern, or a conifer. He remembered trying to raise plants when he was little in an attempt to grow his own food, but that project ended badly. He got better over time, and instead of raising food plants, tried to grow more exotic plants, such as Water Country ivy, Wind Country desert roses, or Tea Country lilies.

The box probably held close to fifty packets of wild flower seeds. He noted a few of them were from the Yamanaka's flower shop, and a few others had labels indicating they came all the way from Spring Country. He would definitely have to look at these further when he had more time.

Placing the box down, he picked up the second scroll, and unrolled the paper. His eyes recognized the handwriting as that of his now deceased sensei, Jiraiya.

_Naruto,_

_ I wrote this scroll out the day I came back to Konoha with you after our training in the Elemental Countries. I gave it to Tsunade so that she could hold on to it in case I was killed in a battle. The information that's written within this scroll is probably as important as the fact that you are the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi. It's information regarding your parents._

Naruto stopped reading for a moment, looking at the words he read over and blinking several times to make sure that he had read it correctly.

"Information regarding your parents." Naruto read aloud. He felt his throat tighten, and his hands gripped the paper a little tighter. He continued.

_I knew both your parents on a personal level. Your father and mother were the closest thing I had to a family, and had asked me to be your godfather before you were born. I was a bit hesitant at first because in all honesty, I never saw myself as a good role model for a child. Still, your mother and father insisted, and I caved in._

_I'm glad I did._

_ They named you after a character in a book that I wrote; it was my first but also the worst selling book I've written to date. It was titled 'The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Ninja', and the main character's name is shared with you. Looking back on it, you're a lot like the main character. I have the book sealed within this scroll if you wish to read it sometime._

Naruto noticed a few scribble marks on the scroll before he went down a few lines.

_Sorry, I can't put this any other way. Your mother was named Kushina Uzumaki, and she originated from the former Land of Whirlpools. She was a kunoichi, and a beautiful woman. Personally, I think you're more like your father, but Tsunade believes that your love for ninjutsu and personality are much like Kushina's. _

_ Either way, she was a wonderful person, and she would have been a wonderful mother to you. I wasn't in Konoha during the Kyuubi's attack when you were born, but from what I was told, she died that night. It could have been stress or the Kyuubi's presence while she was vulnerable, but the news of her dead hit me hard. Still, she was a loving woman, Naruto, and I know that she was always looking forward to the day you would come into her and your father's life._

_ Your father was someone you may know a bit more about. He was Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure. He-_

Naruto nearly dropped the scroll at that point. Something told him that this shouldn't be such a shock to him. He always suspected that somehow he was somehow connected to the Yondaime Hokage. He'd seen his face in books as well as the wall in the Hokage's office, and he remembered the Sandaime commenting how he resembled the Fourth.

Did that mean he knew too about Naruto's heritage? Probably. He kept the information of the Kyuubi under wraps fairly well, so hiding Naruto's family history shouldn't seem to hard to. Shaking his head, he continued.

_He was an amazing ninja, and it seems you're no different. I truly mean that, Naruto; you're an incredible shinobi, and Konoha should be proud to have you. You may not realize it, but many people in Konoha _do_ speak well of you these days. Your peers all have the utmost faith in your abilities from __what Sakura has told me. Your father was the same with his friends and peers. Minato was a great student, and he had a way of just making you feel like even the worst situation would be solved as long as he was around. _

_ Naruto, I realize you may be angry about me hiding this information from you. I will not hold that against you; I'd probably be upset myself. For what it's worth, your identity remained hidden to protect you from your father's enemies. I don't doubt for a moment that if word got out of your heritage, __Iwagakure would have already tried to kill you. Your father was the greatest enemy to Earth Country, and to this day there has not been a more feared shinobi placed within their Bingo Book._

_ Naruto, I wish I had gotten to know you sooner. It's partially my fault; I was Konoha's greatest spy master, and they needed me to keep tabs on Orochimaru, among other enemies. Still, I feel like I'm just making excuses. Apologizing continuously won't do me any good. I wanted to be there for you, but luck just wouldn't allow me to spend the past sixteen years in Konoha to help care for you. I'm just thankful Sarutobi-sensei was there for you whenever he could be. _

_ You're the closest I have to family, Naruto. As such, I am leaving all my worldly possessions in your name, among them being an estate in Tea Country, all the scrolls I've collected over the years—which if Tsunade followed my instructions, should be within a safe vault in Konoha—and my life savings, which if I'm correct currently is about 5 billion ryo, if current sales of my books are accurate. I believe this will be a sufficient amount for the rest of your lifetime, plus interest for all the times I borrowed from your dear wallet, Gama-chan._

_ A few things are likely sealed within this scroll, among them being the data I've gathered in Fuuinjutsu in my lifetime, a few of my more personal scrolls, and a seal design for traveling between our realm and the realm that you're hopefully in, assuming Tsunade has gone through with the plan we agreed upon. There's also a key that's likely sealed within you now that will help you with controlling the seal on the fox. I recommend you look under the scroll that I made for you in regards to that area. You should be able to find it._

_ Naruto, I may be dead, but never forget what I taught you. Those years I spent traveling with you were some of the greatest years of my life, well at least the greatest I can recall with my aging mind. I am honored to have known such a great man and a wonderful godson. _

_ Take care of yourself, Naruto. May the winds of fortune guide you, and may you find joy and happiness in your lifetime._

_ Jiraiya, Gama-Sennin of Konohagakure_

Naruto wiped his eyes a bit, and noticed that there was a small bit of writing at the edges of the scroll that were barely hidden. He read it over.

_P.S- I also sealed all of the Icha Icha books, as well as my research notes, within this scroll. Though I won't pressure you to, it would be a great honor to me if you read the series over time. Either that, or save them to be auctioned off in another twenty years when they become worth hundreds of thousands. Hell, maybe _you_ could even start a new series and carry on the legacy!_

_Just don't tell Tsunade._

Naruto laughed; typical Ero-sennin.

Naruto set the scroll aside, intent on waiting to look at the contents of what was sealed later on. He instead fixed his gaze upon the third and final scroll he had laid out before him. Picking it up with a slightly trembling hand, he broke the wax seal placed on it. He took note that a blood seal was also placed upon it, so he bit his thumb before pressing it against the paper. It glowed briefly before unraveling a bit.

Opening the scroll up fully, Naruto began to read a handwriting he had never seen before.

_To my son,_

_ Hello, Naruto. If you're reading this scroll, then you are hopefully already aware of a few things, such as the fact that you are the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, the fact that Jiraiya is your godfather, and that you are my child._

_ I have to make this quick, unfortunately. I was informed a mere hour ago that the Kyuubi was heading this way. Luckily, I've been messing around with a new Fuuinjutsu just recently, and I think with a few minor alterations, it can help me protect Konoha and stop the Kyuubi. Though if this does succeed, you already now what the consequences are for winning the battle. You'll have the Kyuubi inside of you, and I will be dead. _

_ I hate to leave your mother to care for you alone, but I'm afraid there's not another option available for me. My duty to the village is needed, but if I could, I would do everything in my power to make this oncoming disaster simply disappear. I want to see you grow up, become a shinobi—if that's your wish—and grow old with your mother and become grandparents. I'm scared, but at the same time, I'd rather die one hundred deaths than let any harm come to you or your mother._

_ I love you son. Kushina, your mother, is already aware of what will happen. Naruto, despite what may happen, know that your mother and I care for you more than either of us could ever think possible. When I finally get to hold you, I'm afraid it will be the last time. For now, I'm letting your mother cradle you in her arms as she tries to rest. She's been feeling a bit under the weather lately, so I won't disturb her until I leave._

The ink began to run a bit, spots where moisture had hit the paper evident. Naruto felt his own eyes begin to sting as well.

_I'm sorry for throwing this burden upon you, though I believe that you will be able to use the Kyuubi's power when needed someday. I am entrusting the future of Konoha with you, Naruto. Jiraiya will hopefully help teach you, and your mother will always be there for you as well. _

_ When the time comes, my son, I hope that someday you'll meet a woman who makes your life complete the same way Kushina has for me. I want you to live a full and happy life, and one that you can say is your own. Never let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do. Instead, prove them wrong. Make mistakes, go to extraordinary lengths for things you believe in, and above all else, enjoy your life. We're only human, our time is short, despite what it may feel like at times. Just always remember, Naruto, that you are my son, and nothing can change that._

_ Your father always, _

_ Minato Namikaze_

Naruto took in a few shaky breaths while looking over the letter, trying to see if he could somehow channel a part of his father from it. He sniffled a bit more, hating himself for crying like this. He had promised himself years ago that he wouldn't cry like this and feel sorry for himself. Still...

"Dad...Ero-sennin...Mom..." Naruto set the scroll down and cupped his face into his hands. He let out a sob, then another.

For the first time in years, Naruto cried for himself. It wasn't loud, it wasn't long, but he let the tears run freely, not holding himself back at all.

The night was a blur for him after that. He recalled setting all the scrolls and his belongings to one side of his room before collapsing on his bed. He never looked at his clock, not concerned at all with what time it was. He fell asleep, his head spinning with all that he had learned in the past hour.

* * *

_Brrriiiiin-_

_ Thwack!_

Naruto removed his hand from his alarm clock, and slowly opened his eyes. The sun was shining, and he could hear the chatter of other students outside his room in the dorm hallway. He sighed while getting out his bed. He was still in his clothes from last night.

Groaning, he threw off his uniform and undergarments before heading into the bathroom and showering up. After drying off and putting new clothes on, he grabbed his book bag and headed out the door. He didn't really look where he was going, his mind focusing on other matters.

When he arrived to class, he sat in his seat and simply slumped over, heads resting on his arms.

"Good morning, Naruto." spoke Mizore, who sat down in the seat in front of Naruto. The blond didn't seem to be aware of Mizore's greeting. She frowned, and decided to turn around fully so that she was sitting in with her back facing the front of the classroom, "Naruto, are you okay?"

Naruto blinked once before shifting his gaze to the girl in front of her. He offered her a weak smile, "Oh...hey, Mizore-chan. Sorry, heh, I didn't get much sleep last night."

Mizore's frown didn't vanish, "Why not?"

"Nothing you need to worry about. Just...personal stuff."

Mizore poked Naruto's head, "If it's _personal_ stuff, then that makes it all the more important." She noted Naruto was avoiding her eyes again, "Did something bad happen last night?"

"I..." Naruto sighed, "No, it's not necessarily _bad_. Just..." Naruto shook his head, "Mizore-chan, it's nothing important."

The purple haired girl knew when not to prod anymore, "Okay...if you want to talk, I'm here."

The blond gave her a nod, a little glint to his eyes returning, "Thanks, Mizore-chan. You're a good friend."

Mizore gave a small blush, "Anytime."

Tsukune and Moka soon walked into the class, and the usual murmur of praise towards Moka was heard as the two took their seats. Nekonome was in the classroom a minute later, and began her lecture on yesterday's readings.

"Uzumaki-san?"

The class turned to the blond after he didn't respond.

Nekonome gave a worried look, noting that Naruto seemed to be oozing a gloomy aura, "Uzumaki-san, are you alright?"

Mizore turned around to see Naruto's eyes looking out the window. She poked him lightly, "Naruto."

Naruto looked to the front before seeing the entire class looking to him, "Uhm...I'm sorry, what was the question?"

Nekonome frowned, "Uzumaki-san, I called your name twice and you didn't respond. Are you alright?"

Naruto grinned, "Heheh, I'm fine! Sorry, I was just spacing out there, probably because I didn't eat anything yet, haha!" He scratched his head, "Er...what was the question?"

"I was trying to ask you if you had any idea what club you wanted to join tomorrow."

"Club?" Naruto asked, "What do you mean?"

There was a collective groan as the bell rang, "Alright, class, try to think of what you may want to join for club activities, and don't forget to drop by my booth, the Newspaper Club!"

Naruto was one of the last ones to leave, Mizore, Moka, and Tsukune waiting for him at the door.

"Naruto-kun, can I speak to you for a moment?"

Naruto sighed, and gave a wave to his friends before turning back to his teacher, "Yes, Nekonome-sensei?"

Nekonome signaled for him to pull up a chair by her desk, and waited for him to sit, "Are you alright?"

Naruto gave a nod, "I'm fine. I don't have a fever, and I haven't had a cold since I was five years-"

"Naruto-kun, I mean are you alright in regards to your mental health. If you don't mind me saying so, you seem depressed."

"Depressed?" Naruto frowned, "I'm perfectly fine."

"Are you sure? You know, I'm always available if you need to speak to someone, and we have school counselors as well who you can talk to." Nekonome continued, "It's not healthy to bottle up everything."

Naruto was quiet for a moment before speaking, "Well..." Naruto looked to the clock, but felt a hand tapping his, and he looked to see Nekonome smile a bit.

"I can write you a pass, and I don't have any class for another hour."

Naruto let out a sigh for the umpteenth time that day, "I'd rather not talk too much about it, but..." Naruto ran a hand through his hair, "Do you have any family, Nekonome-sensei?"

"Yes, I do." Nekonome replied.

Naruto nodded, "Well, aside from a few friends I've adopted into a surrogate family of mine, I have no one. My godfather died, and I don't have either of my parents. My father died the day I was born, as did my mother."

Nekonome's hair seemed to droop a bit, the ear-like ends falling down, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's fine...I never really knew my parents, but I finally found out who they were. My..." Naruto paused for a moment, "My country was at war a little over sixteen years ago, and a lot of people died because of it. Just when we started recovering, a huge...storm came through the area. My father was one of the leading men in our town, and well...he died trying to put up a dam to stop the flooding of our home. My mom died shortly after, from what I've been told, probably from the storm as well."

"I see." Nekonome spoke, "When did you find out about this?"

"Last night."

The blond haired teacher nodded, "If you want, you can have the rest of the day off."

Naruto shook his head, "No, I'd rather try to keep my mind occupied with other things. It will probably help."

"Alright..." Nekonome took out a slip of paper, writing out Naruto a slip, "Here, this will keep you from getting marked tardy for your next class." Naruto stood up after taking the slip of paper, "Naruto, just remember that talking to others can help."

Naruto gave her a smile, "I will. I think I already feel a little better just talking about that with you. Thanks, Nekonome-sensei."

Nekonome watched as the blond exited the classroom. She too packed her belongings up, seeing as her next class would be down the hall. She intended to go and make a cup of coffee for herself and maybe get some classwork done.

Something caught her eye though. She looked on her desk to see a small slip of paper, along with a sandwich packed in a plastic bag.

_Thanks for the talk today, Nekonome-sensei. I heard you like fish, so I figured you'd enjoy this more than I would._

_ -Naruto_

The blond adjusted her glasses while looking around the room. She picked up the sandwich and gave it a sniff. It was tuna. She scratched her cheek thoughtfully while heading out the door, "How did he do that?"

* * *

The rest of the day went by without much incident on Naruto's part. Seeing as tomorrow was the day that students would go around school to decide what club to join, Naruto didn't get any homework for most of his classes.

Gym proved to be a wonderful way for him to burn off some of his stress. He never heard of basketball until today, but he found the sport to be fairly easy, just like dodge ball. Unsurprisingly, his team had won, though Mizore being on the other team proved to cause some difficulties for him. She apparently had a natural talent in shooting baskets from almost halfway across the court.

After gym, Naruto was making his way down the hall to Home Economics. He was pretty certain that he'd be doing stitching on clothes, and seeing as he was used to repairing rips in his clothing, he'd have no problems today.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore. Please just leave me alone and-"

"What, is this just a game to you, Shirayuki? You shouldn't go and mess with other people's emotions like this, otherwise people may start saying things about you."

Naruto stopped, and listened in. He immediately recognized the voices of both Mizore and Kotsubo Okuto, the gym teacher. It sounded like they were having an argument of some sort.

"I'm tired of you always treating me like this, though. I don't like how you harass me whenever-"

"_Harass_?" There was the sound of someone being pushed against a wall, followed by a gasp from Mizore, "You said that you liked me, no, _loved_ me. What's with the sudden change?"

Naruto tightened his fist. Teacher or not, Naruto didn't like the way that Okuto was talking to Mizore. He prepared to jump in if things got bad.

"Y-you do anything to me and I'll tell the faculty. They'll find out what you're like, and then you'll lose your job." Mizore spoke, though her voice was shaky and weak, "Just leave me alone and I won't say any-"

"Are you _blackmailing _ me?!" There was a chuckle from Okuto, "Think about what everyone would say about _you_! The student in a relationship with the gym teacher. I can stand losing my job, but what about you? You'll be an outcast, even more so that you already are! Everyone will start avoiding you!" Okuto laughed as Mizore seemed to be struggling, at least from what Naruto could hear, "What's brought about this sudden change in you, Shirayuki?"

"What are you talking about?" Mizore asked, "What change?"

"Heh, there's another guy, isn't there?" Okuto asked, "Who is it? Huh?"

Mizore said nothing.

"It's that Uzumaki kid, isn't it? Let me guess; he talks to you while everyone else thinks you're a loner, right? He _understands _you, he _knows_ you, and _cares _about you." Okuto continued, "Hahaha! Come on, Shirayuki! The boy probably just wants you for something like a one night stand. No one would truly care about a loner like you."

"N-Naruto's not like that!" Mizore whispered, "He's a truly wonderful person, and you'd be lucky if you came to be even a quarter of the man that he-"

Naruto had enough. He walked around the corner, surprised that no one walked across this scene before him. Sure enough, Okuto had Mizore pinned to the wall. He put a surprised look on his face, "O-Okuto-sensei? What's going on?"

The position Okuto was in with Mizore pinned to the wall looked questionable, no doubt. He flashed Naruto a look of shock before backing away from Mizore. Mizore looked to Naruto before dropping her gaze to the ground, quickly moving away from Okuto, and walking past Naruto at a brisk pace.

"Mizore-chan?"

"Later, Naruto." Mizore whispered, not even looking up as she spoke.

Naruto turned back to the gym teacher who was heading down the hall in the opposite direction and spoke, "Okuto-sensei..."

Okuto turned back to Naruto, "Yeah?"

Naruto's look of confusion settled into one of mild anger, "I heard everything that happened." Naruto's gaze could have pierced diamonds if possible, "Mizore-chan is my friend, and if you're going to treat her like that, you'll be hearing from me."

Okuto went from shock to confusion before settling on contempt, "Uzumaki...are you threatening me?"

"Not at all. I'm simply stating that if you wish to continue harassing my friend, the proper actions will be taken, one way or another." Naruto turned around, seeing as class would be starting soon.

Okuto growled as soon as Naruto was out of sight. Damn it, now he had someone who was a witness to what was going on. Still, he was a faculty member. People were more likely to believe him than some kids. If Naruto got to be a problem...well, he'd simply take care of him. Sure, he had great potential as a possible student athlete, but if he was also a threat to his image and possibly his job, he'd have to get rid of him.

* * *

Mizore watched from a staircase as Naruto headed down a hall towards the Home Economics wing of the school. She caught most of what Naruto had said, but what got her the most was that he defended _her_. He didn't seem to even mind the fact that she apparently had some sort of relationship with their gym teacher. Well, hardly much of anything worth calling a relationship. She sort of liked him, but after a few days he started to act...different. He was kind to her for the first couple of days, but recently he started to scare her.

Naruto though...

She felt her heartbeat pick up a little. He was everything she wasn't. Bright, cheerful, brash, courageous, reckless, optimistic...not to mention she often overheard his name being spoken in hushed whispers by girls in the locker room after gym class.

"I should talk to him." She said to herself. She held her books close to her as she headed down to the library for her study period.

Mizore began to think back on what her mother had told her. She needed to find a partner, and soon. Well, at least within a couple years' time. Soon she'd be at the prime age for bearing children. Sometimes she hated the fact that she was a Yuki-onna. They had a short reproductive period, and as such, often were put into arranged marriages to insure future generations could be made.

Perhaps if she wrote to her mother, she'd be able to get some advice on what to do. She didn't _love_ Naruto...but she did _like_ him. Surely that was better than being married off to some complete stranger.

"Mother will probably know what to do..." Mizore sighed. She would just have to wait until after school today before she could do anything.

* * *

After dinner, Naruto headed out by himself. He walked out to the woods outside of his dorm area, a bag of gear over one shoulder. Ten minutes of travel found him in the middle of a meadow he had found earlier in the week. Taking a quick survey of the area, he nodded.

"This'll do perfectly." Naruto stated. He pulled out from the bag two scrolls, and rubbed his hands together before unraveling them. Two seals were on either of the scrolls, one marked 'field' and other marked 'alarm'. He went to work, pressing a single hand on the field scroll before going through a few simple one handed hand seals he knew from Jiraiya. A second later, he felt a slight drain on his chakra, and a light blue aura began to emerge from the seal. Naruto continued to channel chakra into the seal, and the light spread out, creating a ring. The ring grew larger and larger until it covered close to several hundred yards. Naruto eventually stopped channeling chakra into the scroll, and the giant ring of light faded.

Rolling the second scroll up, he brought his attention to the second scroll marked 'alarm'. This one was more of an intricate procedure for him. Naruto went through several hand seals before pressing both palms onto the scroll and shouting, "Kai!"

The scroll let out a blue light as well, several symbols appearing around the seal on the paper before a weak shock wave erupted from the scroll. The shock wave traveled towards through the meadow before stopping and hitting the edge of the ring Naruto had created just a short while ago.

Naruto bit his thumb, smeared it on the bottom of the seal, and then went through a few more hand seals before shouting, "Fuuin!" The ring lit up around the meadow and trees again, this time with several runic symbols floating above its perimeter. Naruto grinned and rolled up the scroll, "There, that takes care of that."

Naruto had just created his own personal alarm system. If he ever found himself training anywhere within the perimeter of the ring he had created and another significantly high life force entered the area, he'd know. He had Jiraiya to thank for the development of this alarm system technique.

Naruto set to work, unraveling another scroll and unsealing several dozen target dummies and straw targets. Naruto created a dozen clones and set to work, assigning them several tasks while he did his own share of the work. Within an hour's time, Naruto had created a simple training ground for himself.

Checking the watch in his pocket revealed to Naruto that he had been out for longer than he thought, and it was now close to eight thirty. Packing up his remaining gear, the blond left his new training ground and headed back to campus.

Naruto was back in his own room fifteen minutes later, and decided a cup of ramen would do him some good. Five minutes later found Naruto holding a warm cup of steamy instant ramen, slurping up the salty noodles as he opened up his math book. He would do a bit of studying before it got too late.

Around eleven, Naruto closed his book, and turned his attention to one of the boxes on the floor. He grinned as he walked over to the the box with his ANBU uniform that Shizune gave him. Pulling it out, he held it out in front of him.

"Well...it's not _too_ late to go outside." Naruto thought.

* * *

Naruto hopped from tree branch to tree branch, elating in the feeling of the air running across his masked face. It had been too long since he had gotten the chance to just _run_ through the forest. He didn't mind being fairly normal—if that word could be used in a school with monsters—but sometimes he just needed to let loose and release the pent up energy he always seemed to have.

"Gin, just leave me alone already."

"Come on, why do you have to be such a tease like that, huh?"

Naruto flipped over a large branch before landing on the ground silently, and taking in his surroundings. He crept beside a large tree and looked ahead. There were two people, one belonging to a dark haired male and another belonging to that of a blond girl. Both were students from what Naruto could see, though he guessed from their appearances that they were upperclassmen.

The male student, who apparently was named Gin, continued, "It's not like anyone is here. We're fine."

"It doesn't matter, Gin. I'm _not_ interested in you. You're a nice guy, but-"

"But _what_?" Gin sighed, leaning a hand against a tree in front of the girl, blocking her path ahead, "Is it because I'm in the Newspaper Club? You think that I'm not _cool_ enough?"

"What? No, nothing like that, I just-"

"Then what's the big deal if we-"

Naruto heard enough, "Excuse me, but I believe the lady wished to be left alone."

Gin turned around to face the masked blond, "What the-?" He narrowed his eyes as he took in the person's appearance. He was wearing a form-fitting suit of some sort, along with some arm braces and a mask that covered his face from the nose down. He sported a bandanna of sorts that had a metal plate on it with an odd spiral symbol emblazoned on it, "Who the _hell_ are you?"

Naruto paused, "Who me?" Crap! He hadn't even thought of a cool name yet! He shook his head before continuing, "I'm the Arashi-Ninja, vigilante of shadows!" Naruto clenched a fist, "Now, get away from that student before I make you!"

"Wait..." Gin raised an eyebrow, "Are you threatening me?"

"No, just giving you a choice." Naruto replied.

Gin cracked his knuckles, "Look, punk, I don't know what planet you're from, but ninja aren't around anymore. They died along with the feudal era of Japan...at least I think they did. All that remains is bits of their combat style and stories."

Naruto quirked an eyebrow, "What are you talking about, there are-" He caught himself in mid sentence; this was a different world. How did he know of ninja? He decided to save that question for research on a later date, "Look, pal, either leave the girl alone or I'll show you what the Arashi Ninja is capable of!" He struck a battle stance while pulling out a kunai.

Oh yeah, he could see the fear in this Gin's eyes.

"Cripes, you really think you're a ninja, don't you?" Gin snickered, "Look, moron, scram before I kick your ass."

Naruto growled, "I _am_ a ninja, bastard!" The blond ran forward, "Now watch and learn!"

Much to our hero's surprise, Gin suddenly vanished. The blond looked around, trying to pinpoint his target's location.

"Ah, behind you!" shouted the girl. Naruto spun around while ducking, avoiding a kick from Gin. Naruto quickly grabbed the older student's other ankle as his attacking limb went over Naruto's head, and pulled it forward. Gin fell to the ground, but quickly rolled to the side and got back to his feet.

"Damn...you're actually able to fight." Gin growled, "Look, kid, I'd rather not fight you, so if you leave now, then I'll pretend none of this ever happened."

"Do you promise to leave the girl alone then?"

Gin looked to the girl, then back to Naruto. He then glanced up to the night sky, looking at the moon. He sighed, "Sure, fine." He looked back to the girl, "Sorry. Didn't mean to bother you so much."

The girl just looked between the two before jogging off towards campus. Gin watched her go before returning his attention to his antagonizer, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're one of Haji's pupils with how easily you handled that attack of mine."

"Who's Haji?" Naruto spoke, confused by the sudden change of tone in Gin's voice.

Gin gave the masked shinobi a surprised look, "Who's Haji?"

"Yeah. That's what I said."

Gin shook his head, "Haji's the Captain of the Youkai Academy Karate Club. He's a top-notch fighter, like me."

"Like you?" Naruto chuckled, "If that's what you call top-notch, I'd say I have the Academy grounds well protected if I meet anymore guys like you."

"Okay, that hurt, but I haven't shown you what I'm really capable of."

Naruto grinned behind his mask, "You don't _want_ to see what I'm capable of."

Gin felt his patience dwindle by the moment with this guy. He was running around at night, dressed like some crazy ninja-wannabe. Maybe he was a reject from the Student Police force?

"...you working for Kuyou?"

Naruto cocked his head to the side, "Kuyou? Who's that?"

Gin gave Naruto a dumbfounded look, "Who's Kuyou? Are you serious?"

"Yeah, of course I am!"

"Are you an idiot?"

"No, I'm just asking a question about someone I've never heard of!"

"You really are an idiot."

"Why you-"

Gin raised his hands in placating manner, "Okay, okay, so you're not working for Kuyou. Good." The upperclassman ran a hand through his hair, "I suppose if you're not one of Kuyou's lackeys, then maybe you're not such a bad guy." He grinned at Naruto's befuddled masked expression, "Truth is, Youkai Academy could use a guy like you. We have a Student Police Committee, but they're so corrupt that nobody feels safe around them."

"Tch, figures, give people power and they abuse it." Naruto commented aloud without thinking, "I bet their leader's an ass."

"Only the worst kind in all of Youkai." Gin replied.

The two guys made a grumbling sound in unison before looking to each other, "So...Gin, right?"

"Yeah. I take it you don't want your identity revealed?"

Naruto chuckled, "Not especially, no. Just keep your nose out of trouble and I won't bother you. Though, from what it looks like, you're not a bad guy yourself, heheh."

Gin grinned, "Thanks. If you ever need a good reputation, just let me know. I have ways of spreading the word around campus fast."

Naruto nodded, "I'll keep that in mind, Gin." With that, Naruto jumped back into the shadows of the forest, leaving Gin by himself.

"Arashi-Ninja, huh?" Gin mused, fingering a small camera in his pocket, "I think I'll be hearing more about that guy in the future."

Naruto plopped onto his bed, groaning as he threw off his sweaty uniform. Letting out a sigh of contentment, he stretched out as he let the cool night air from his open window hit him.

* * *

It was close to two in the morning now. After his encounter with Gin, he patrolled around campus, and managed to do a few good deeds in the process. He helped a girl find her wallet that was missing in a courtyard, stopped two third year students from beating up a first year student, and also prevented a group of students from spray painting the walls of the main building.

As he closed his eyes, he let his thoughts wander. Just as he expected, he found himself thinking over the news of his parents, his godfather's last words, and just the stress from taking it all in. He had managed to keep himself occupied with other things, but now that he wasn't busy with anything, he couldn't help but feel that same depressing weight fall upon him.

He shook his head and rolled over so that he was lying on his stomach. It wouldn't do any good to mope around and feel sorry for himself. Jiraiya had been with him, even if it was for a few short years. Those years, much like Jiraiya had stated in the scroll, were some of the best in his life.

"Ero-sennin, I hope you're watching me." Naruto spoke, looking out his window and into the night sky, "I'm going to become the greatest ninja of all time. Just watch."

The blond fell asleep shortly after that, letting his exhaustion from the past two days finally win over his consciousness. Tomorrow would be another day, and he'd have to find a club to join. Maybe he'd join one with Tsukune or Mizore. Hell, maybe even become part of a cooking club with Kurumu.

He didn't know for sure, but whatever club he joined, he was certain that he'd enjoy it as long as he had friends to be part of it with him.

**End of Chapter Three- There you have it folks, chapter three. Not a whole lot of action this chapter, but it's still kind of introducing Naruto to the other characters right now. Don't worry though, action will soon be more than plentiful. Aside from that, Naruto's already made friends with our young prodigy/witch, and is making a slow recovery and coming to terms with Jiraiya's death and finding out about his parents. What will happen next, you ask? Ah, that would be telling, heh. Be on the lookout for the next chapter. Later!**

**As always, many thanks to the great Paradox Jast for being the ever-helpful beta reader of my works!**


	4. Incognito

**Disclaimer: It's a tradition of mine to do at least one chapter in the following fashion, so don't blame me. Anyway, here's everyone's favorite Yuki-onna, Mizore!**

**Mizore: You do realize how pathetic this is, right?**

**Denim88: Enough, get the disclaimer over with already.**

**Mizore: You could simply just do it instead of thi-**

**Denim88: I'll melt you.**

**Mizore: ...Rosario+Vampire and Naruto are property of Akihisa Ikeda and Masashi Kishimoto respectively. Denim88 doesn't own anything from either series, and is pathetic at his disclaimers.**

**Denim88: You really are an ice queen.**

**Mizore: Only to idiots.**

**Rosario+Jinchuuriki  
Chapter Four: Incognito**

"If that photography club member asks me to join one more time, suspension be damned, I'll deck him in the-"

"Naruto, just ignore them. They can't force you to join." Mizore sighed as they tagged along with Kurumu, Tsukune, Moka, and Yukari.

"She's right, Naruto. Besides, there are better clubs to join, like the chemistry club, or the fortune telling club." Yukari beamed, "We can make awesome potions and read the future! That way I'll know how to get Moka-san to fall in love with-"

"_Or_ we could keep looking." Kurumu interrupted, knocking Yukari to the side a little, "Naruto, why don't we go look at the baking or cooking clubs? I'm sure we can get lots of good recipes there!"

Naruto sighed as Yukari jumped onto Kurumu's back while stating that Naruto would never want to join a stupid club that she's not in. Naruto quickly moved around the soon-to-be-cat-fight, joining up with Tsukune, "What do you think, Tsukune? There's too many choices here...wait, what's salsa dancing?"

Tsukune simply shook his head, "I know what you mean. There's too many to take in. We can only join one club, too." He turned to Moka and smiled, "What club do you think would be fun?"

"W-well, Tsukune-kun, I'd be happy to join any club you want to join."

Tsukune felt his face heat up a bit, "Oh, ah...well, then maybe we should keep looking around, huh?"

Moka blushed, "Sure, Tsukune-kun..."

Naruto decided to give the two some space, though Yukari and Kurumu didn't feel that leaving the two alone was such a good idea. Naruto laughed as the blue haired succubus grabbed a hold of Tsukune's arm while Yukari hugged Moka's side.

"At least they won't lose each other in this crowd..." Mizore commented, "Any idea on what you want to do?"

Naruto scratched his head while giving a chuckle, "No clue whatsoever."

Mizore nodded, "Well, I think I'm going to go with Kurumu. She said that she wanted to see the aromatherapy club, and I want to see if I can find any scented candles from my hometown."

"Candles?" Naruto repeated, giving her a confused look, "Why?"

Mizore was quiet for a moment before speaking, "Ah, well...I-I remember my mother telling me once that the flowers that grow where we live have a very...um...intoxicating affect on people when mixed with lavender. I just wanted to see if it's true."

Naruto grinned, "Okay, Mizore-chan. I'll catch you later!" He flashed her a grin while giving her a thumbs up. She smiled while heading off to catch up with their friends,.

"Alright...if I was a cool club booth...where would I be?"

Naruto weaved around the crowds of students, passing by numerous other booths, all advertising their perks and activities for possible recruits. Naruto couldn't help but feel slightly unnerved as he passed by the groups that were predominantly female; hair care, perfume and cosmetics, fashion and design, and numerous others. Sure, there were male members in a few of them, but most of the men were around simply to flirt with the girls. Nevertheless, Naruto found numerous students—mostly girls—calling out to him.

"Oh, Naruto-kun, do you remember me? Gym class?" one redhead called out, "If you want, you can join our pottery club."

"Hey there, blondie, want to join the modeling club? We don't have many boys..."

"Ohh, he's a cute one! Hey, join our massage club!"

Naruto couldn't help but notice many of the boys around him giving him envious glares as girls continued calling out to him. He laughed nervously as he kindly declined their invitations (it took a good deal of willpower to turn down the lovely third year girl who offered him a free massage), and continued onward.

"Karate Club! Join now, learn the ways of unarmed combat! Sparring, technique, principles-all aspects are covered in this club!"

Naruto turned his head the moment he heard the word 'sparring', and looked to see a rather tall and well muscled male student shouting out to the crowds, drawing in a small audience. He sported a uniform of sorts, obviously a martial arts style, and had spiked hair and sharp eyes.

"Come on! You've got nothing to lose except a few weeks for rehabilitation if you get injured!" the student continued, "We'll even give you a demonstration! Any volunteers?"

Naruto grinned, "I will."

The student looked at him and grinned, "Haha! A first year with a pair finally speaks up!" He waved to Naruto, indicating that he wanted him to follow him to a clearing behind the Karate Club's booth where a fighting mat was placed.

Naruto stood on the other side of the mat while the man looked him over, "What's your name?"

"Naruto Uzumaki."

"Naruto Uzumaki, huh? I'm Haji Miyamoto, the captain of this club." He grinned, "I've heard about you; you're supposedly one of the best first years in gym classes." Haji looked to one of the other karate members, "Funato, I want you to spar with him. Go easy on him."

Funato looked to be an upperclassmen as well. He had brown hair and brown eyes, and stood a few inches taller than Naruto. "Sure thing, Haji-taichou." Funato nodded before walking over to the opposite side of the mat, facing Naruto. He grinned a bit, "You have any experience?"

The blond shinobi shrugged, "I have decent experience with taijutsu." Naruto began to mentally panic; the term taijutsu was used in a very broad sense in his world. Shinobi often liked to keep the name of their combat styles a secret, so the word taijutsu was an interchangeable term. He knew of various styles, but he didn't have a real style that he used himself. With that being said, he wasn't sure if these people knew what he meant.

Funato looked confused at first, and as soon as Naruto opened his mouth to explain himself, the taller boy laughed, "I get it. When I asked if you had any experience, I was asking if you knew any particular styles of fighting, like Judo or Karate. I suppose grappling itself can be considered a style, though. Since we just want to see what you can do, you don't have to worry about serious injury or anything like that. Feel free to use whatever style you like, though I'm going to be using Karate."

Naruto tried to keep the relief he felt from showing on his face, then threw his green jacket on to the ground nearby before getting into a stance, "Heh, alright. Who makes first move?"

"I will. Let's see how you react." Funato replied. A moment passed before Funato ran at Naruto, striking out with an open palm. Naruto quickly slapped the palm aside and grabbed the extended arm before turning back and flipping him over his shoulder.

Funato landed on his back, quickly rolling to the side and laughing, "Okay, looks like I deserved that one. You're obviously not a novice." Funato changed his stance up, "Let's try this!"

Naruto ducked under a kick, and attempted to sweep his opponent off his feet. However, Funato quickly pulled his foot back. Naruto saw the heel coming towards him, and raised both arms to block.

A small audience had gathered now. A few murmured Naruto's name while others simply spoke in awe of how the 'first year' was putting up a fight against an experienced second year karate club member.

Naruto quickly jumped back before sprinting forward. He blocked a fist from Funato before palm striking him in the shoulder. Funato grunted, taking a step back. Naruto backed off a bit to give Funato a chance to recover, smiling, "So, where do I stand in rank?"

"Heh, you've got more than a few years of experience on your belt. You obviously know more than just grappling, though." Funato replied, "I can tell you're holding back, but so am I."

"That easy to see, huh?" Naruto laughed.

Funato quickly tried a grapple move of his own on, sweeping Naruto's feet from underneath him. Naruto reacted on pure instinct, using his sheer strength to throw Funato onto the ground to avoid being pinned by the second year. Naruto held a open palm in a striking position, mimicking what would have been the finishing blow, "Do you submit?"

Funato blinked before sighing, a bitter smile on his features, "I submit."

The audience clapped as Naruto helped Funato to his feet, shaking his hand, "Thanks, Funato-senpai. Sorry for...embarrassing you like-"

Funato waved it off, "It's fine. You're a good fighter, there's no shame in losing to someone who's good at martial arts." He laughed, "Looks like I still have a lot to learn."

"Excellent job, Uzumaki-san!" Haji spoke, "I think you've proven yourself a capable fighter here." He extended his hand, "We'd be honored to have you join us."

Naruto thought for a moment, "So _you're_ Haji. I heard about you from other students." Naruto laughed, "They say you're a good fighter yourself."

Haji smirked a bit, "Well, I don't like to blow hot air, but I _am_ good at karate. I still have much to learn though. Improvement is a big part of our program, and it takes a lot of dedication and commitment." He gave Naruto a serious expression, "We also take pride in our name. If you join our club, understand that you represent us both while wearing the uniform and not wearing the uniform."

Naruto gave a nod, "I understand."

"Will you join us then?"

The blond mulled over the offer. He didn't know anyone in this club...but it'd be a chance to get to spar, and improve without hiding his skills in taijutsu.

"Count me in." Naruto spoke, shaking Haji's hand.

* * *

"That Tamao Ichinose sure seems to be getting comfortable with Tsukune-kun..." grumbled Kurumu as she waded near the edge of the pool where the Youkai Academy's Swimming Club was stationed.

Tsukune had suggested they go take a look at the Swimming Club after seeing the beautiful members calling out to the other students to join them in the pool. Mizore had quietly excused herself, stating she wasn't that interested in swimming, and would talk to them later, heading went off to see one of the other club booths. Moka seemed a bit hesitant to follow, but Kurumu and Yukari were all for the idea.

At the moment, the Swimming Club captain, Tamao Ichinose, was currently swimming alongside Tsukune, her arms continually wrapping around the younger boy's arms to guide him. She would occasionally praise his form and technique, and offer advice to improve. Tsukune wouldn't deny the fact that she was a beautiful woman, probably a few years his senior, but he was kind of disappointed that Moka had yet to join him in the water as well.

"Yeah...well, at least he's enjoying himself." Yukari replied. The young witch turned towards one of the tables where Moka was sitting, "Hey, Moka-san, why don't you join us? It's really warm in here, and-"

"Yukari-chan, I'd rather not. I'm not a fan of swimming." Moka spoke, cutting Yukari off.

Kurumu gave Moka a perplexed look, "Really? Why not?"

"I just _don't_!" Moka replied, her voice a bit stern, "Since Tsukune seems to be enjoying himself _so_ _much_ with the other swimming club girls, I'll just leave!"

Tsukune, who overheard the rosette shouting, swam towards the others, "H-hey, wait, Moka, that's not true at all! You don't understand, I just wanted to swim with you, that's all!"

Moka turned sharply to face Tsukune, "No, _you_ don't understand, Tsukune! I can't-"

Before Moka could finish, she was splashed with water. The rosette screamed as she quickly backed away, looking to the culprit. Ichinose, who was beside Tsukune, just shook her head, "Moka-san, while you're free to visit here, I don't tolerate fighting. It's unsightly on your part, deters others from coming over here, and above all else, is simply childish."

Moka's eyes looked at the moisture dripping down her arms and hair, "N-no, water!" She quickly dashed off, leaving Tsukune calling out to her.

Kurumu turned towards Ichinose, "Hey, you didn't need to splash her. Aren't you supposed to be trying to set an example for your club, being the captain and all?"

Ichinose chuckled lightly, "Please, the last thing we need is an immature brat like her joining our club. Now, if you don't mind..." She wrapped an arm around Tsukune, "Tsukune-kun, let's continue swimming, shall we?"

"Ah...but..." Tsukune found himself being guided back into the deeper end of the pool while Yukari and Kurumu found themselves torn between going to Moka and staying with Tsukune.

"I'll go find Moka." Yukari spoke, getting out of the pool, "I'm getting a weird vibe from that Ichinose. Keep an eye on her and Tsukune."

Kurumu shrugged, "Alright."

Yukari quickly wrapped a towel around herself to dry off before heading towards the direction Moka had run off to.

* * *

Naruto grinned to himself as he held a white uniform in his arms. He felt a bit of proud of himself to be accepted so quickly into a rather reputable club. The fact that other students looked at him in mild wonder, whispering his name as he walked by, made him feel on top of the world. The shinobi within him, however, reminded the rest of his brain that he shouldn't let this go to his head, and that many older shinobi could easily run circles around the Karate Club. Gai-sensei, for starters, was easily the most physically fit man Naruto had ever met. Rock Lee easily placed second, but due only to being younger and not leading the same intense lifestyle for as long as Gai had.

"Wonder what Tsukune and the others will say..." Naruto thought.

"Naruto!"

The blond turned to the sound of his name being called out, only to see a familiar witch heading towards him, "Yukari-chan, hey! Check it out!" He held out his Karate uniform.

Completely ignoring the uniform, Yukari looked directly at his face, "Naruto, have you seen Moka anywhere?"

"Moka?" Naruto repeated, looking a bit perplexed, "No, not since I last saw her with you guys. Is something wrong?"

"Well..." Yukari scratched her cheek a bit, "I think Tsukune hurt her feelings...or something. She was with us at the swimming pool where the swimming club was having their station set up, and she didn't seem to like the idea of swimming, so she stayed out of the pool."

"Huh...go on." Naruto rubbed his chin a bit.

"So, she got mad when Kurumu asked her to come into the water, and she said that Tsukune was too busy with the other girls to care about her or something like that, so she was leaving. Tsukune called to her, saying he wanted to swim with her from the start, but then the Swimming Club captain began splashing water at her. She...seemed scared when she got wet." Yukari looked around in a worried manner, "Naruto, do you think she can't swim or something?"

"Don't know..." Naruto sighed, "Well, I'll go to the pool and have a talk with Tsukune. Maybe he can explain to Moka. You go find Moka, and we'll all meet back at the pool."

"Okay...oh, and Naruto...be careful of their captain, Tamao Ichinose. She...I don't know, but there's just something off about her."

_"Besides the fact that she's a monster?"_ Naruto thought, "Got it, Yukari-chan. I'll see you at the pool." With that, Naruto headed towards the swimming pool.

As he reached the pool area, he could hear the sound of water splashing and voices of the swimmers.

"Senpai, what are you doing!!! What's wrong with-gaaaaah!!!"

Naruto quirked an eyebrow, and stopped walking. He quickly hid behind a row of hedges, and looked into the pool area.

"What...the hell?" Naruto murmured to himself.

There in the pool were more than a dozen fish...or...what _were _they? If Naruto didn't know any better, they resembled those pictures of mermaids that he saw in the few kids books he read when he was younger. Far less beautiful though, and much scarier.

These...mermaids, or whatever, seemed to be chasing the other students, which were almost all men, and _biting_ them. What disturbed him the most though was that the students changed before his eyes as they were bitten. They seemed to age rapidly, as though they had the youth sucked right out of them.

"Damn it, just when I was hoping for a regular day." Naruto sighed as he pulled a scroll out from his pocket labeled 'suit'.

* * *

Tsukune watched in horror as he saw a boy drained of his energy by the two girls that had been swimming with him only moments ago. He had seen about enough; it would be best to get out of the water while he still had a chance, then go talk to Moka and fix whatever problems there were between them.

"Tsukune-kun...where are you going?"

Tsukune nearly froze as he felt scaly arm wrap around him from behind, "Ah-ah, I decided that I don't want to join this club, Ichinose-senpai. Thanks though, I do appreciate the time you-yah!!!" Tsukune flailed his arms while swimming back to try and distance himself between the swim club captain. She too, like the others, was a mermaid.

"Oh...that's too bad, Tsukune-kun..." Ichinose spoke, slowly making her way over to him, "You see...I never intended for you to leave. Ever since the day of the commencement ceremony, I've dreamed of getting a chance to meet you."

"Um...why?" Tsukune asked, paddling back while keeping a wary eye on the fish-like monster.

Ichinose giggled lightly, "Silly, it's because of your smell." She opened her mouth, revealing razor sharp teeth like that of a predatory fish, "It smells just like a human scent!! I just can't help but want to devour you!!"

"Tsukune!! Don't worry, I'm coming!!"

Tsukune looked over his shoulder to see Kurumu, now in her true form, wings flapping and nails extended. She made towards Tsukune, hand extended to reach out to him and pull him out of the pool.

"Stop her!" Ichinose cried out.

Kurumu didn't even have a chance to react as one of the mermaids jumped out of the water, slapping her with a giant fish tail. She cried out in pain before falling into the water.

"Kurumu!!" Tsukune called out to the Succubus. He swam towards the spot where she had fallen into the water, only to be stopped by Ichinose, who had swam out in front of him. She smiled lightly, her teeth fully visible to him.

"Don't worry, Tsukune-kun, we have no interest in devouring a Succubus like her. We'll simply let her drown. It'll be far less painless than getting eaten." The swim team captain swam forward, catching the teenager by the shoulders, "Now...just relax. You won't die; I'll simply drain you of most of your life!"

Tsukune could only watch as the jaws of Ichinose opened, ready to clamp down and drain him of his life force. He'd be an old man for the rest of his life, robbed of his youth by a mermaid. He couldn't help but think about his family, his friends, and Moka...

"..._I guess this is what I get for ignoring Moka-san like I did..."_ Tsukune thought as he gave in to his fate.

"Here I come to save the daaaay!!!"

Ichinose turned around as the sound of a voice broke out, "What now-huh?!"

Ichinose caught the darkness of a silhouette falling down from the sky above. She swam away just as the figure crashed down into the water, sending a large wave in ever direction. A few of the mermaids screamed as they were tossed about from the figure's impact.

As the waves settled, Ichinose finally got a good look at their newest intruder. The mysterious interloper was dressed in an odd armor of sorts, a form-fitting suit almost. The person had a bandanna of some kind covering their entire head, and a mask covering their face from the nose and everything underneath. Piercing blue eyes stood out amongst all the gray and black he had on. What bothered her the most was that this person was able to stand above the water's surface! How was that possible?

The person was male from the looks of it, and the feminine part of her couldn't help but run her eyes over his form once before snarling, "Who the hell are you?"

The figure simply barked out a laugh, "I am the upholder of justice! The reply to all that cry out for help! The Arashi-Ninja!!"

Naruto didn't enjoy the odd looks he got from everyone around the pool area, Tsukune included. Ichinose raised an eyebrow, "Huh?"

The person shook his head, and put his hands into a seal, forming a single clone that looked like an exact replica of himself. He spoke a few words, and the replica dived underneath the surface while the original remained standing above the water. He pointed a finger at her, "Ichinose-san, by the power invested in me by righteous fury and justice, I will stop you and your club members from draining the life force from fellow students of Youkai Academy."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Ichinose replied, several mermaids surrounding her as she moved closer to him, "You're in our domain! _We_ make the rules!"

Naruto simply laughed, "I wouldn't be so sure of that." He pointed to his feet, which emitted a soft blue glow as he stood above the water, "Your 'domain' doesn't seem to have much of an affect on me."

That seemed to strike a nerve with Ichinose, "That's it! Get that bastard, now!!"

Naruto got into a ready stance as the mermaids sped towards him, much like a school of piranha. The blond sidestepped the first mermaid as she dove at him. He quickly spun around once before delivering a power kick to the face of another one of the fish-beasts.

Meanwhile, the clone Naruto had summoned breached the surface, an unconscious Kurumu in its arms. The clone quickly got out of the water, pulling Kurumu up and laying her gently on the cement. He quickly checked her, and tilted her neck back a little. The clone pulled his mask down quickly and breathed into her. Almost immediately Kurumu began to cough, a small amount of water spurting out of her mouth. The clone quickly pulled up his mask as her eyes opened.

"Wh-what?" Kurumu looked up to the clone's face, "Who are you?"

Her masked savior seemed to smile as he spoke, "I'm a copy of the Arashi-Ninja. The real one's off fighting those mermaid girls or whatever they are."

Kurumu's eyes widened, "Ah! That's right, Tsukune-kun! Is he-?" She sat up quickly, but found the masked ninja's arm hold her in place.

"Whoa, easy." Naruto spoke calmly, "You nearly drowned a little while ago, just relax. I'll keep Tsukune from getting eaten, alright?"

"But-"

The clone placed a hand gently on her shoulder, "I promise."

Kurumu found herself unable to argue. She sighed, instead turning to the apparent 'original' ninja, who had just delivered an uppercut to an unfortunate mermaid, sending her out of the water and into some nearby shrubs. She looked back to the clone and then it clicked.

"...wait...clones?"

"Um..." the clone quickly dispelled, leaving a baffled Kurumu staring at a puff of smoke.

_"But...he just...he seemed to be so much like Naruto..."_ Kurumu thought, _"I'll just have to confront him about this when I get a chance." _She coughed a little more water out of her mouth, "First I need to find out how I can help that Arashi-Ninja and Tsukune-kun."

* * *

"B-but Moka, Tsukune-kun seemed really upset when you ran off! I think he truly wanted you to join us in the pool."

Moka didn't face the young witch as she stood, facing towards the girls' dorms, "He sure seemed to be having fun with that Tamao Ichinose. I know that _she_ was enjoying being around him."

"Moka..." Yukari sighed, "Please, just come back and at least tell Tsukune how you feel about the situation. I'm sure we can resolve all of this if we just talk."

Moka was quiet for almost a minute, Yukari fearing that she wasn't going to say anything further. Just when the witch was about to head back, the rosette spoke, "I'm not a big fan of water."

"Y-you're not?"

"No." Moka replied, "I..."

Yukari's eyes widened a little, "Oh...it's true, then, isn't it?"

"What's true?" Moka asked, turning towards the younger girl.

Yukari looked away, "Um...well, I heard rumors that you're actually a vampire. Seeing as water has powerful 'purification' properties, vampires tend to become weak when they make contact with it."

Moka gave a weak smile, and nodded once, "That's true. I am a vampire, and that's the reason why I hate water."

Yukari frowned, "Moka, please come back. I really think that Tsukune-kun was worried when you left."

The vampire girl gave a sigh, but smiled, "You're right. Tsukune-kun's my friend. That's what matters. Even...even if he joins the swimming club, I shouldn't ruin our friendship over something like that."

Yukari grinned, "That's right! We're friends! Besides, Naruto went and joined a different club too! I think he had a karate uniform."

The two began heading back to the pool area, "Karate? Naruto-kun?" Moka laughed, "Wow, Naruto-kun knows karate?"

* * *

"Super Ninja Punch of Justice!!!"

Another mermaid was sent flying out of the pool area, crashing into a table courtesy of a nasty right hook from Naruto.

Tsukune had managed to escape the dreaded waters of the Youkai Academy pool, thanks in part to Kurumu who had managed to grab a hold of him while flying. Though, had it not been for the distraction from the Arashi-Ninja, Kurumu doubted she would have been able to help Tsukune.

At the moment, Kurumu and Tsukune, along with a few of the students who managed to escape the pool right away, were watching the mysterious ninja take on about a dozen of the remaining mermaids.

"He's only one guy! We can take him!" one of the mermaids cried out. The others yelled in agreement before swimming towards Naruto.

The young shinobi simply got into a stance while running through a series of seals, _"I guess now is as good a time to see if I'm good enough to use Suiton..."_

A geyser of water shot out of the pool, spinning around Naruto and knocking a few of the mermaids back and halting the progress of the other attackers. Ichinose glared daggers at this interloper who had caused so many problems for her. Thanks to him, she lost out on her meal, and now he was beating the stuffing out of them in their own element! It was next to insulting!

Naruto managed to find himself busy as the mermaids finally seemed to get a legitimate plan going. One mermaid dived under the surface while the others circled around him at high speeds. Naruto prepared to attack one of the mermaids when two hands grabbed a hold of him from underwater.

"Crap!!" Naruto cried out, feeling himself get pulled down into the watery depths of the pool. He took in a deep breath just before his head sunk under the surface.

Naruto opened his eyes, feeling a light stinging sensation from the chlorine of the pool. He looked around him, expecting to see mermaids surrounding him from all sides. Instead, he was greeted by just the blurry blue of the pool water. No shadows or silhouettes of any of his attackers.

A tingling sensation in the back of his mind told him to turn around. He was able to barely catch glimpse of a set of jaws just as the clamped down on his arm. He let out a cry of pain before decking the mermaid in the face, causing her to immediately let go. Red rivulets began to flow into the pool water, and at least several more blurry figures emerged from the depths of the pool. Naruto drew a kunai, and the mermaids immediately stopped in place as they spotted the weapon. Naruto didn't want to use lethal force, but if push came to shove, he'd draw blood, even kill, if he had to.

Two more mermaids swam towards him, jaws open and webbed hands reaching out to grab hold of him. Naruto molded chakra into his weapon, and quickly rolled to the side as the mermaids swam past. One of the two gave a cry of pain as she gripped her arm, which now had a nice clean gash going down the side. Naruto simply held his kunai in front of him as the others watched him carefully.

_"I have to resurface soon. I never really had much experience underwater...and fighting like this is taking away my oxygen faster than I expected..."_ Naruto closed his eyes, _"Looks like I'll have to do this in one move..."_

Ichinose pointed a finger at Naruto while giving out a gurgled command, "He can't breath in the water! Just keep him pinned and he'll drown!"

The mermaids swam at Naruto all at once, but the blond didn't move from his spot in the middle of the pool. He held out a single hand and began making circular motions, letting chakra flow into his hands as he put all his concentration into his next move...

Moka and Yukari arrived to the pool, surprised to see everyone standing outside of it in the swim wear. The students seemed to be focused on the pool though, which caused the two girls to also turn their attention to the water.

"Moka!"

The rosette looked up to see Tsukune and Kurumu heading towards her, "Tsukune-kun, I'm sorry for-"

"No, I should be the one apologizing..." Tsukune sighed, "I didn't really pay attention to how you felt about the idea of swimming."

"None of us did." Kurumu added, "We're sorry, Moka."

The rosette smiled, "It's fine. I shouldn't have been so immature like that and just run off like that on you guys." She looked to Tsukune, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Besides, I'm not interested in this club anymore."

Yukari raised an eyebrow, "Why not?"

Kurumu let out a laugh, "The swimming club members tried to eat the students."

"What?!" Yukari and Moka both yelled.

"They're apparently mermaids." Tsukune shrugged his shoulders, "I was done for, but all of the sudden some guy in a weird outfit saved me. He called himself the Arashi-Ninja."

"...Arashi-Ninja..." Yukari repeated, "You don't say?"

"You heard of him?" Kurumu asked.

"Sort of. I heard that some person claiming to be a ninja saved a younger student from getting beat up by a bunch of bullies a night or two ago. He said he was fighting 'for justice' or something."

"That explains the horrible names of his attacks." Kurumu added.

"It also explains his weird clothes." spoke Mizore as she popped up from the bushes behind the group.

"Gah!!" the four cried out in surprise.

"Sorry." Mizore spoke as she pulled her sucker out of her mouth, "I heard the Arashi-Ninja has weird powers. I saw him make a clone of himself when he helped you out, Kurumu."

"You were here the whole time and didn't help?" Kurumu growled.

"I didn't want to get my clothes wet." Mizore replied.

"Well, where is this ninja?" Yukari asked.

Tsukune pointed to the pool, "He was standing on the water's surface, don't ask me how, but he was. The mermaids pulled him underneath the surface just a minute ago..."

The sound of waves splashing against cement drew the attention of the group once more. The pool was now a whirlpool that was spiraling towards the center.

"Whoa...do you feel that?" Moka spoke, a sudden heavy feeling washing over her, "It's different from the youki I've felt from other monsters...but..."

_Boom!_

The rosette's words were cut off as the water blasted out of the pool, raining down on those within the immediate area—Moka included, much to her dismay—and the last of the mermaids could be seen lying scattered among the wreckage.

"Ah, there he is!" Kurumu pointed towards the center of the pool where the Arashi-Ninja was standing. He had one open palm raised into the air, a ball of light with wisps of air going around it. It was emitting a bright light from the center, and gave off a high pitched humming sound. A light wind seemed to be emanating from the strange ball of energy.

The ninja looked around before tossing the ball of energy into the air so that it dissipated, then hopped out of the now empty pool. He looked around before looking to Tsukune, "Are you alright?"

"Huh?" Tsukune blinked, "Oh! Y-yeah! Thanks for helping me earlier...um..."

"Arashi-Ninja...or Ninja works too." Naruto replied, "I've been hearing quite a bit about you lately. Trouble seems to follow you around, Tsukune Aono."

Tsukune's throat tightened; did this guy know about his secret? Did he know he was a human as well?

"R-really?" Tsukune asked, "I suppose I got mixed up with the wrong crowd early in the semester, heh. I don't mean to cause trouble around here."

Naruto waved a hand dismissively, "Eh, don't worry about it. I keep an eye on the place. If I see anyone causing problems around here, they'll have to deal with me." He turned to the other students who were watching from a distance, "Have no fear, students of Youkai Academy! I, the Arashi-Ninja, shall keep a silent watch over this place! Should you ever find yourself in peril, I will do everything in my power to protect you!"

Before anyone could give a reply, Naruto pulled out a small ball from a pocket in his suit, tossing it to the ground. It emitted a thick gray smoke, giving him enough cover to disappear. By the time the smoke dissipated, he was gone from sight.

Yukari rubbed her chin as the others looked to see if there were any traces of the masked vigilante, "Ninja...huh?" She smiled a bit, "Looks like I'll need to do some investigating on the matter."

* * *

Naruto let out a deep sigh as he sealed the last of his 'Arashi-Ninja' attire into his scroll after finding a quiet clearing in the woods nearby. He grunted in pain as he examined the bite marks on his two arms. Despite how he had managed to avoid major wounds during the fight, they still managed to catch him a few times in the fray.

"...I definitely need to get a training schedule going again..." Naruto thought aloud as he began to treat his wounds. He began to wrap the bite mark, and laughed, "Maybe also stop getting inspiration for my monologues from Gai-sensei, heheh."

* * *

A few days had passed since the incident with the pool and the mermaids. Nekonome had managed to talk Tsukune, Moka, Kurumu, and Yukari into joining the Newspaper Club, which didn't seem all that bad in Tsukune's opinion. He wasn't exactly a journalist, but he didn't see the problem with getting a simple article done for a paper once a week...

"Tsukune-kun, we should do an article together!"

"Neh, Kurumu, why would he want to write an article with a top-heavy cow like-ow! My hair, let go of my hair!!"

Tsukune groaned as Yukari and Kurumu got into yet another scuffle. Moka was busy looking over a possible entry for the paper entitled, 'The Masked Vigilante of Youkai! Who is the Arashi-Ninja?' Mizore was currently out getting some photographs of the campus for a 'start of a new school year' themed article.

"Hey, Tsukune, mind helping me with these boxes?"

Tsukune looked up from his own work to see Gin carrying a few boxes with paper supplies, "Oh, sure thing, Gin."

Ginei Morioka, the current president of the newspaper club, was a rather laid back individual. The first day of the club had proven that he was a bit of a pervert though after he caught the upperclassman trying to get a peek underneath the skirts of the girls when they were hanging up posters on the wall for their club. He had called Gin out on that, only for Gin to somehow find a way to make it seem like it had been Tsukune who was being the pervert. In the end, he had received a slap to the face from both Moka and Kurumu, a scolding from Yukari, and a rather icy look from Mizore.

As Tsukune hefted one of the boxes up, Gin walked over to him, speaking just above a whisper, "Hey, Tsukune...is it true that you and Moka are an item right now?"

"W-what?" Tsukune recovered quickly, "Er...well, I-"

"I'm just curious as to whether or not I'll have to work hard on getting her to fall for me or not, that's all." Gin laughed, "I'm afraid I've fallen for Moka Akashiya. Regardless of what it takes, I'm going to make her my woman."

Tsukune felt his temper flare a bit, "Well, I doubt she'll fall for a pervert like you."

Gin just grinned, "Heheh, as far as I can tell, she sees you as more of a pervert."

"...which by the way is your fault entirely." Tsukune added.

"Heh, yeah, sorry about that. Didn't mean for you to get slapped in the face."

The two walked in relative silence after that, heading down the rather quiet halls of the Academy during the after school hours. The eventually exited the Academy building, heading down to the gymnasium area.

"Gin, why are we heading down to the gymnasium?"

"Hm?" Gin looked to the gym, "Oh, well, I have a friend in the Karate Club, and he said he could hold onto some of our extra supplies in their locker room area, since we have zero space for use right now."

"Oh."

The entered the gymnasium, and headed down one of the halls. The sounds of people shouting as they played various sports could be heard echoing down the corridor, as well as the sounds of feet moving on wooden floors, basketballs being dribbled, the sound of weights clanking against metal.

Tsukune followed Gin into a room that had a padded flooring and walls. The people there were dressed in white uniform with belts tied to their waists, and none of them had shoes on. Among the students was a familiar blond.

"Oh, Naruto! Hey, over here!"

The blond was resting against a wall, a towel wrapped around his neck. He opened one eye and grinned when he saw Tsukune, "Tsukune? Hey, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, well, Gin-sempai said that we can store some of the extra supplies for the Newspaper Club here."

"Gin?" Naruto repeated, looking over to the upperclassman who was conversing with Haji, his club's captain. When he laid eyes upon the guy, he couldn't help but chuckle, "Oh, I see."

"You know him?" Tsukune asked, only to receive a negative shaking of the head from Naruto.

"I've only heard of him." Naruto shrugged, "Haji-sempai says he's good friends with Gin. Personally..." Naruto looked around a bit before lowering his voice, "I heard he's a pervert, and that he's notorious with the upperclassmen girls."

Tsukune's frowned, "Not surprising. I caught him peeking under the skirts of Kurumu, Mizore, and Moka the other day."

Naruto's expression soured a little, "Really? What happened?"

"He blamed me for it!"

"Let me guess; Moka and the others beat the snot out of you for it?"

"Er...well, Moka and Kurumu slapped me across the face. Yukari just got all weird and Mizore gave me a scary look."

Naruto sighed, "Huh...well, if he does anything like that again, try to make sure you've got proof to show for it."

Tsukune just shrugged, "Well, I'll just have to be careful around him. He seems to have an interest in Moka as well."

"You don't say?" Naruto looked to see Gin laughing with Haji over something funny. The blond shinobi gave Tsukune a pat on the shoulder and smiled, "Heheh, don't worry. Gin's bound to slip up sooner than later, right? Besides, Moka's a smart girl. She wouldn't just fall for a guy based on looks."

"Oi, Tsukune, drop the stuff off here. We've got to get some photos taken for the newspaper then." Gin called, cutting the two boys' conversation short.

"Right, be there in a second." Tsukune looked to Naruto, "Well, I guess I'll talk to you later, Naruto. Um, Moka mentioned something about studying for the math exam coming up later this week with Yukari."

Naruto grumbled, "Oh, right...math." He scratched his head, "I might not be able to make it to the study group."

"Huh? Why not?"

"I got stuff to take care of."

Tsukune gave Naruto perplexed look, "What stuff?"

Naruto cracked his neck a bit, "Just stuff that needs my attention. I have all week to study, right?"

"Naruto, you and I are both about as ill prepared for math as possible. We _need_ to study." Tsukune argued, "Is it that important that you have to miss studying?"

"Tsukune, don't worry about it, okay? I'll see you later."

Tsukune was still frowning as he bid Naruto farewell, and after setting the boxes of newspaper supplies in the Karate Club's spare storage locker, they headed out to get some photography done.

* * *

The rest of the day had gone by rather uneventfully for Naruto. He had managed to defeat two more members while sparring, and even got a free meal from Haji for his efforts.

Now it was close to nine, the sun having long dropped below the horizon. A cool wind whipped through the blond's hair as he took in a deep breath. He pulled out his bandanna and covered his head, then tied his hitai-ate around his head.

Tonight he had some time to spare. He wasn't lying to Tsukune when he had stated that has stuff to take care of. That stuff wasn't academically related though. Naruto needed to sharpen his skills. He may be a student, but he was a shinobi, first and foremost.

Naruto walked into the opening where his training field was set up. He looked around once before walking towards a small shrub. A single wire was tied around one of the branches, barely visible to the naked eye. Naruto untied the string, and let it go. Several seconds passed before several targets dropped down from the surrounding trees, and about a dozen training dummies popped out of the areas where taller grass was growing.

"Well, no time to waste." Naruto said to himself, weaving his hands into his favorite hand seal, summoning close to fifty clones. They all looked to him before getting into a fighting stance. Naruto drew a kunai and just grinned underneath his mask.

It was close to eleven at night when Naruto decided to take a break. He untied his bandanna and headband, letting the cool air of the evening hit his sweaty scalp. He plopped onto the ground, letting his muscles take a well deserved rest.

_This_ was the feeling he had been missing. Exhaustion. The feeling of having driven himself to the point where his heart was drumming in his chest, and his muscles strained move. He missed this feeling, but probably what he missed most of all was having someone to spar with. He was, as far as he was aware, the only human with powers like his in both this world and Tsukune's. Tsukune seemed to be just like Tsunade had said; unable to draw upon the chakra in his system and not as powerful because of it.

_"Maybe I could teach him...?"_

Naruto chuckled at the thought; he was hardly qualified to teach the ways of the shinobi to a person, let alone someone who missed the most critical years to develop their chakra coils. He could probably teach Tsukune basic taijutsu, but that was it. Genjutsu was out of the question, and he wasn't certain on what he could teach Tsukune in the field of ninjutsu. Fuuinjutsu was still gray area for Naruto; he was an apprentice-level seal master at best, but if he just applied some time to studying the notes from Jiraiya, he could improve greatly.

Staring up at the night sky, Naruto couldn't help but admire the beauty of the moon, "Huh...full moon..." Naruto began to pick up his gear and clean up his training ground, "Guess that means I'll have more light for patrol tonight."

Naruto was done cleaning up in no time at all, and decided to get a quick bite to eat. Digging into one of his pockets, he pulled out one of the cereal bars he had bought at the Academy earlier that day. They weren't as filling as the ration bars back in Konoha, but they sure tasted better.

About three minutes after taking the time to eat and drink from a canteen he had brought, Naruto jumped off into the canopy of the forest.

* * *

"Gin-senpai...are these real?"

Gin gave a frown, nodding as he chuckled, "Yeah, pretty pathetic, huh? Tsukune seems like an okay guy, but to peep on the girl's locker room..."

Moka looked at a picture of Tsukune standing on a pile of crates while looking into what appeared to be the girls' gym locker room. She honestly didn't know what to think; she had seen Tsukune getting chased by girls earlier...and they did seem upset, but...

"This can't be true. Tsukune isn't like that." Moka looked to Gin, "I can't believe this...I need to talk to Tsukune about this first before I make up my mind."

Gin shook his head, "Moka-chan...I understand that you must be distraught, but trust me, he's a pervert." The second year student wrapped an arm around her, "I'm here to console you, Moka-chan..."

* * *

Tsukune knew something was up when Gin lead him to the worst place to get 'a good view of the campus'. He should have never climbed up and looked into that window, but how was he supposed to know that there would be more than two dozen girls getting dressed in there?

Now he was locked in a storage room with his arms tied around his back. No way out. He would have to wait until tomorrow morning for the janitor to arrive when he came to get the cleaning-

"I think he's in here!"

Tsukune's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of voices outside a window high above his reach. It sounded like...

"Tsukune? You there??"

"Yukari?"

"Ah! He's in there! Kurumu, help me up!" A pointed hat poked up from behind the window, followed by the face of none other than Yukari Sendou, "Tsukune, don't worry, we'll get you out of here!"

"How did you find me?" Tsukune asked as the witch and Succubus entered the room.

Kurumu winked, "Well, I was curious as to where you and Gin were heading off to, so-"

"You were following Tsukune so you could get him alone with you." Yukari corrected.

"...as I was saying, I was curious as to where you and Gin-sempai were going, so I followed. Well, I saw what happened, and luckily I had a camera with me!" She held up some photographs of Gin pointing to the window and pretty much all the proof they needed to prove Tsukune innocent.

"Great! Now, we just need to find Moka and let her know as well."

Kurumu smiled, "We sent Mizore off to find Moka a little while ago. She said she saw her on the roof of one of the Academy buildings a little while ago." Kurumu extended her claw-like nails and quickly cut through the rope holding Tsukune's arms together.

"I think Moka may be in a bit of trouble as well. Gin-sempai said he was going to try and make Moka 'his girl'." Tsukune spoke, "We better find Moka quickly."

* * *

"Gin-senpai, stop it!!"

"What, I'm just holding you gently. What's the big deal?"

Moka slapped his hand away, "You just tried to feel me up!"

"Ah...well, heheh...you see, there's a full moon tonight." Gin waved a hand up to the bright orb in the night sky, "The moon has a strong effect on me, especially when it's full like tonight. I tend to lose myself to my more...carnal desires." He gave a disarming smile, "It's beautiful, isn't it? The moon is a strange and powerful force in the world of us monsters."

"That doesn't mean you can go and do such things!" Moka backed away from him, "Just leave me be. I want to talk to Tsukune before I go and jump to conclusions. I believe in him, and I know he wouldn't do this without reason!"

"Still caught up with that dweeb?" Gin frowned, "Look, Moka, if you don't want to be my girl...I'll just have to make you submit then, won't I?"

Moka let out a gasp as Gin's nails became claws. His teeth sharpened, and hair began to grow on every inch of his body. His overall body frame grew, not as much as when Saizou transformed, but it was a difference.

"Wh-what are you?" Moka asked, taking a few more steps back.

Gin grinned a toothy grin, "A werewolf. A child of the night; a master of speed and agility." Gin began to approach Moka, "Now, just stop struggling will you? I promise I'll be a greater man than Tsukune could ever hope to be with you."

"No, leave me alone!"

Gin stopped short as the sound of an object whizzing through the air caught his senses. He ducked as a sharp projectile flew over his head. He looked to the edge of the roof to see a figure standing there.

"I would stop bothering Moka-chan if I were you. It's really hard to pretend to miss a target."

"Ah, M-Mizore-chan!" Moka spoke, "What are you doing here?"

Mizore looked to Moka for a moment, "I was following you. Kurumu and Yukari said that I should keep an eye on things while they went and looked for Tsukune..." She pointed a knife of sorts at Gin, "This guy framed Tsukune. We have evidence."

Gin growled, "Damn...why do I always have to deal with interruptions like this?"

Mizore walked over to Moka's side, and the temperature around the trio dropped significantly, frost developing on the roof where they stood, "Gin-senpai, leave Moka alone, and also clear Tsukune's name of the accusations against him."

"Ha! Like hell I'll do that! That guy had it coming with how he never sticks up for himself!" Gin chuckled, "Looks like I'll have to deal with two unruly women, won't I?"

Mizore gave a chilling smile, brandishing the clear, crystalline-like knife. If Moka were to hold the knife, she would have realized it was actually made of carved ice. The purple-haired girl took a step forward while turning to Moka, "Moka-chan, stay back. I'd rather not get you caught up in this by mistake. My powers tend to have a wide range when I get caught up in the heat of a battle."

"Mizore-chan..."

"Moka! Mizore!"

The two girls, along with the werewolf, turned to another voice. There, coming up from the stairwell entrance to the roof were Kurumu, Yukari, and Tsukune. Gin's eyes widened in surprise before he got into a stance, "Ha! Even if it were ten to one, I'd still win this fight!"

"Don't be so sure of that." Mizore spoke, her voice no longer calm and soft, "I won't let you have the chance to move another step."

She chucked her ice knives at the werewolf and quickly slammed her hand to the ground. Splinters of frost crept out of her hands, which now were more like claws made of ice. Gin quickly dodged the knives, then jumped over the sheet of ice that formed over the roof.

"He's fast!" Mizore spoke, raising both hands and blasting a wave of subzero air at the wolf-like beast. Gin simply faded from view, Mizore hitting nothing but air.

"Hey, over here." Gin called out. The entire group turned to the railing on the opposite end of the roof where Gin stood, grinning cockily, "Perhaps you're not aware of a werewolf's speed? You see, when the moon's full and bright, that's when my powers are at the peak!" He disappeared from view, reappearing behind Mizore, "No matter how much you try to freeze me in place, it won't do you any good if you can't keep up with my speed."

Gin prepared to deliver a quick slash with his claws to Mizore, but felt something grip his wrist, "What the-?" Looking over his shoulder, his expression became one of shock, "Y-you!!"

Holding onto Gin's wrists, not moving in the slightest as Gin struggled to yank his arm free, was the Arashi-Ninja. Naruto made sure to change the tone of his voice as he spoke, "Gin, I warned you to stay out of trouble."

"Y-you're that ninja guy from a few days back!" Gin growled, "How did you get behind me like that?"

The others were just as curious as to how he suddenly appeared out of seemingly nowhere. The ninja laughed a little before looking up.

"I thought I told you; I'm a _ninja_. It's what I do."

Naruto had an inkling of a feeling that he should do a patrol around the Academy buildings first tonight. It just turned out he had made the right choice. He watched as Mizore explained the situation involving Gin framing Tsukune, and then watched the fight start. He had to admit, he was a bit surprised to see Mizore manipulating ice; it reminded him of his fight with Haku so many years ago...the way she could control and create ice from thin air.

Naruto felt Gin tug to free his arm again from the grip of the young shinobi. The blond didn't budge, however, "I'm not letting you go, Gin. Not until you decide to stop this and turn yourself in."

"No way!" Gin decided to stop holding back, and quickly delivered a kick to Naruto's stomach. Naruto managed to barely soften the blow by jumping back a bit.

Landing on his knees, Naruto grunted in annoyance as his abdominals throbbed in pain; that guy could kick! Naruto scanned the area, and much to his dismay, Gin was gone from his sight. Cursing himself for losing sight of the enemy, Naruto got up and drew a kunai before turning to the others, "All of you, get out of here. I'll take care of him and turn him in, alright? I don't want you all getting caught up in this if I can help it."

The only response Naruto got though was a shout from Yukari, "Ninja-san, behind you!!"

Naruto spun around and lifted an arm, the braces on his suit blocking the claws of Gin's hands. Naruto grit his teeth as he pushed the werewolf back, "Damn, you almost got me there."

Gin laughed, "I have to admit, you're pretty good to block me like that. Keeping up with a werewolf, even a little, is something to be proud of."

"Tch, don't patronize me." Naruto pocketed the kunai and grabbed Gin's arm with both hands before pulling him in and kneeing him in the gut. Naruto didn't give him a chance to recover, and quickly threw the werewolf over his shoulder. Gin managed to land on his feet, growling a bit from the pain.

"You hit pretty hard...heh." Gin spit some blood before continuing, "That's definitely going to bruise..."

"I warned you; you don't want to see what I'm capable of in a fight. I'm going easy on you, namely because my full power would be too much for such a small battleground."

"Is that so?" Gin grinned, "Guess I'll have to take advantage of that."

Naruto saw Gin blur away, a second later he raised a knee to block a foot to the gut, only to be punched by a clawed fist from the werewolf. The blond flew into the air before hitting the ground, but quickly got to his feet, shaking his head.

"That was a freebie, bastard. Next one won't be so easy to get."

Gin and Naruto disappeared, the two moving at high speeds, the sound of metal and sharpened claws clashing with each other. The other five could do no more than simply watch helplessly, unable to tell where the two were.

"I...I can't seem them moving around."

Mizore's icicle claws twitched a bit, "That guy is pretty fast. I guess he really is a ninja then, isn't he?"

The two suddenly reappeared in midair, feet blocking each other from hitting their target's jaws. Naruto couldn't recall the last opponent he faced who was this fast, other than Lee, but he never got to spar with him that much. Sure, he dealt with numerous shinobi, but...humans are only capable of moving so fast for so long. It was only because of his monstrous chakra reserves and amazing stamina that he was able to keep up with Gin.

Naruto quickly drew several shuriken and threw them at the werewolf, and just as he expected, Gin dodged. Naruto used the attack as a distraction, running ahead to meet Gin and deliver a snap kick to the jaw.

"Take this! Arashi-Ninja Kick!!!"

Gin, while caught off guard by his opponent's speed, managed to dodge the kick by moving to the side. He caught Naruto's ankle, and quickly slammed the boy on his back.

"Gah!!" Naruto felt the air leave his lungs as he struggled to get to his feet. A foot landed hard on his chest, pinning him to ground. Naruto looked up to see Gin's padded feet holding him in place, "Damn it..."

"Heh, serves you right for trying to take on a werewolf during a full moon!" Gin pressed down harder on Naruto's chest, causing Naruto to grunt in pain.

"I'm...not...finished..." Naruto reached for the kunai in his pouch, and moved to stab Gin in the leg. Gin however, saw the ninja's arm move, and instead pinned his forearm to the ground, effectively causing Naruto to drop his weapon and cry out in pain as he felt his bones reaching the brink of fracturing.

"Look, kid, I don't want to hurt you anymore than I have to. Give up and never bother me again, and I'll let you go."

Naruto simply raised his one free hand, and pointed behind him. Gin gave him a puzzled look, but looked behind him. At the same time, a sudden chill rand down his spine as he lay eyes upon a bright pink aura that seemed to shoot off into the sky.

"Wha-what is that?" Gin asked, a sudden weight crashing on his chest causing his breathing to hitch for a moment. His instincts were telling him to run, but he squashed down the idea immediately.

As the light disappeared, a single figure stood before him. Yukari, Tsukune, Mizore, and Kurumu had all stepped back to the opposite end of the roof. Gin wasn't sure why, but Tsukune was giving him a sympathetic look, as though he had done some great evil against Gin.

"Ginei, I recommend you remove your foot from the shinobi."

Gin turned to see what looked to be Moka, though with a few drastic changes. She appeared to have silver hair now, red irises, and a slight alteration to her body's frame, making her appearance more mature.

"Y-you really are a vampire." Gin stated, "I thought it was just a rumor. You're even more beautiful than before! Haha!"

Moka yawned a bit before she looked to Gin with an almost mocking smile, "So, the high and mighty werewolf can be scared after all." She got into a stance that Naruto couldn't help but mentally praise, "Well, I do recall you stating that you wished to 'make me your woman' not too long ago. Why don't you try?"

Gin just laughed, and lifted his foot from Naruto's chest. The werewolf faded from view, reappearing behind Moka. The vampire quickly spun around to knee him in the gut, only to hit air.

"Face it, as long as the full moon shines bright, this fight is mine!" Gin laughed. He slipped underneath a rising kick by the silver haired beauty, and quickly ran behind her. Moka turned around once more, missing his face by several seconds, her fist going through an afterimage.

To Gin, she seemed to be moving in slow motion. He could have ended this battle already; he just wanted to drag it out a bit longer. He wanted to prove that just because she was a vampire didn't mean she was superior.

He continued to sprint circles around the vampire, who was struggling to keep up with his movements. He grinned to himself, _"I think it's time to end this now. She's as good as mine!"_

The werewolf changed his course, fist cocked back to knock out the vampire from the back of the skull. He threw his fist forward, the grin never leaving his face.

_Thwack!_

_ Crunch!_

For a moment, Gin thought he had hit her. Then he looked again, only to see his a few of his knuckles bending in odd directions. His brain caught up with the rest of his body, and he looked to see the hand of none other than the Arashi-Ninja, who had stopped Gin's fist with an open palm, effectively breaking several digits in the werewolf's hand.

"Gaaaaah!!!!" Gin cried out, retracting his hand and holding it tenderly, "How did you manage to catch me like that!!! Damn it!!"

Naruto simply laughed, pointing up to the sky. Gin looked up, and his facial features changed from anger to shock. The clouds were out, and had blocked out most of the moonlight. Without the moonlight, he wasn't nearly as fast as before!

"Don't think that it's over! I'll show you what I'm-"

A blur of silver and green appeared in front of him, and he saw stars as the foot of Moka Akashiya met the side of his head. He flew several feet through the air before flying off the railing of the roof and onto the ground below. The four other spectators ran to see the figure of Gin, motionless and groaning in pain.

"I doubt he'll be getting up from that." Yukari spoke, "That's at least three stories that he fell down, not to mention he got kicked by Moka..."

Naruto decided to make take his leave while the others were focused on the downed werewolf. No need to have them getting curious about him; especially Kurumu. She seemed to recognize him, and he almost blew his cover.

"Hold it."

Naruto was just about to jump off when he heard Moka speak. He cursed himself before turning around, "Yeah?"

He barely had time to react as Moka appeared before him, her hands around his arm. He bit down the pain as she tightened her grip, "I have a tendency to not trust those who hide behind masks." Her crimson pupils locked with his sapphire.

Naruto gritted his teeth as he forced back the desire to pull his arm away. Moka was easily much stronger than he was. Well, at least stronger without having to draw upon any further power, and doing that might only provoke her. He managed to laugh a little as she kept a steady gaze on him, "I go and help you and this is the thanks I get?"

"For all I know, you have some ulterior motive to helping us." Moka explained, applying more force and cause Naruto to wince a little, "You're definitely a capable fighter, that much I can tell. However, judging by the fact that you have _superhuman_ abilities while in a _human_ form, I'm guessing you're either a boundary being or very good at holding a disguise while drawing upon your true powers."

"Heh, nothing escapes you, does it?" Naruto's comment was rewarded with a slight twisting, "Ow, ow, ow...look, just trust me on this one. I'm not a bad guy."

"Vigilantes tend to believe that they're doing good. That doesn't mean that they're 'good deeds' are good for the public." Moka kept her steady gaze on the ninja's blue orbs, "I saw you at the pool the other day. While you _did_ save many from being fed on by the mermaids...you also arrived at a rather convenient time, at least that's what Tsukune said. Saved him in the 'nick of time' as they would say."

"What are you getting at?" Naruto asked.

"Are you stalking us?" Moka questioned, "If you lie to me, and I find out..." She let the threat hang in the air, her suppressing aura doing the talking for her.

"Okay, you want the truth?" Naruto looked away for a moment before sighing, "The truth is that I don't like how things are being handled around here. Too many students deal with problems, some of which they shouldn't have to worry about to begin with, like getting beat up by upperclassmen, getting their lunch money stolen, or having people steal their belongings."

Moka's eyes lowered to his torso, where Gin had stepped on his ribs, then settled onto his arm, "Are you injured?"

Naruto waved his free hand, "Eh, I heal up faster than most. I'll be fine. I've had much worse beatings than that."

Moka seemed to be done with her impromptu interrogation, letting go of Naruto's arm. The shinobi quickly backed up while giving a nod, "Take care now."

"Until we meet again, Naruto."

The ninja had already started to turn around, before he stopped suddenly and looked back at Moka with wide eyes, panic etched into his masked features. "H-How did... When did you figure it out?"

Offering him a small smile, she idly brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face while walking back towards him, "Your physique is quite similar to that of Naruto, and you both have the exact same eye color as well. Not only that, but Naruto is the only one of our group of friends that isn't here. I simply connected the dots, and your reaction confirmed my suspicions to be true."

Naruto looked over Moka's shoulder at the rest of the group; they were still checking out the area where Gin had gone over the railing and chatting amongst themselves. Turning his attention back to the white haired vampire, he begged, "Please, please Moka-chan... keep this between us? I want to help people, but I'm also doing this to keep up with my training. I really don't need others constantly nagging me about what I do. Besides, this could cause problems if I make enemies and others know who I really am." He seemed to be sincere with his request, "Please!"

Moka's red eyes squinted as she gazed at him, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I'll agree, but only on one condition."

Feeling wary, Naruto simply nodded slowly at her, urging her to continue.

Moka continued, "You're powerful, I can tell that much just from what happened here tonight. I'm curious as to just how strong you are. I want to spar you sometime this year before school ends. I desire to keep my own skills sharp, and you're the closest thing I have to a friend that has worthy strength."

Part of Naruto was happy at her offer, if he could practice with her, she would make an incredible sparring partner. On the other hand, seeing the damage she did to Gin with just a single punch, it would be just like sparring with a Sakura that didn't pull any punches. It would hurt.

"Fine," Naruto scratched the back of his head while exhaling deeply, "I promise we'll spar. Just let me know when you want to." Moka smirked at Naruto and gave him a little 'shoo' gesture. The blond immediately disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Kurumu noticed the smoke from the corner of her eye, belatedly realizing that the ninja had disappeared, "Hey, wait!"

"Don't bother Kurumu...he's already a good two minutes running distance from us." Moka spoke as she rejoined with the group.

Tsukune gave the vampire a quizzical look, "You can tell?"

"Barely. His aura is suppressed now, but that technique he used to disappear gave off the faintest trace of energy. I'm guessing it's a sort of teleportation ability."

Yukari nodded, "I remember reading in a book somewhere about shinobi once...it said that they're a step under boundary beings." She scratched her head in thought, "I think it said that they differ from witches in regards to how they draw upon their power. Witches harness the energy of the environment around them, but ninja draw energy from within them."

Tsukune shook his head, "So...you mean to say that this 'Arashi-Ninja' is more or less a superhuman of some sorts?"

Yukari smiled while laughing a little, "I guess that's an easy way of putting it. There's more to it though. I'll have to see if I can find anything else on shinobi in my spare time."

* * *

Moka eventually retrieved her rosary from Tsukune and reattached it to her chain. The group then decided it was best to call it a night, considering it was nearly on to one in the morning.

"Mizore?"

The purple haired girl looked to her side to see Moka walking beside her, "Hm?"

"Thanks...for helping me earlier." Moka looked away for a moment, "I won't tell anyone about your powers."

Mizore smiled, "That doesn't really matter to me, but thank you."

"Hey," Kurumu began as they began walking down the stairs to the ground floor, "What do we do about Gin?"

"Oh...he's still unconscious, isn't he?" Tsukune asked.

"All in favor of leaving him and spilling the beans on what happened in the first newspaper, say aye." Yukari spoke, grinning a little.

"Aye." came the chorus of four girls and one boy.

"Then it's decided," Yukari laughed. Almost as an afterthought, she continued, "Hey, Naruto's in the Karate Club. Maybe we should get him to beat up Gin as retribution for what he did to Tsukune-kun!"

* * *

Naruto crawled to his bed, groaning in pain as he slowly lied down. Taking a look at his body, he saw a few bruises on his chest, and one on his wrist. He'd be fine by morning, but it didn't do anything to help with the pain throbbing through his body.

Still, it sure beat a punch through the wall from Sakura or Tsunade any day.

He took a quick look at his alarm clock, and sighed. Five minutes past two in the morning, and he was just starting to get some sleep. He'd have to be up in less than six hours, and while he was used to having little sleep, he was also used to being on missions and being active. Sitting in classes for a good six hours a day wasn't exactly what he called being 'active'. Therefore, it wasn't necessarily a surprise to him when he would sometimes find himself dozing off in the middle of a lecture about trigonometry.

"Damn...I don't have homework due tomorrow, do I?" Naruto asked himself aloud. He quickly flicked on his light, and walked over to his desk. Looking at his math book, he opened the page he had bookmarked, and sighed.

"Son of a..." Naruto plopped into his chair. He had another sixteen problems to go, and he recalled hearing that this homework _would_ be graded. He rubbed his eyes, grabbed a pencil, and set to work.

* * *

_Bam, bam, bam!_

"Naruto! Hey, Naruto, wake up!"

_Bam, bam, bam, bambambambam!_

Naruto slowly opened his eyes, and yawned. The first thing he noted was that he was in his chair. Second of all, he looked at his clock.

"Twenty to eight...huh..." Naruto's slowly widened, "Aw crap!!!"

"Naruto? Are you in there? You're going to be late for class!"

Naruto ran to his door, and opened it to reveal Tsukune standing before him, "Ah, Tsukune! Thanks for waking me up, heheh. Looks like I forgot to set my clock..."

"No problem; you usually have your door open in the morning before you leave for school, so I figured you were still sleeping." Tsukune looked to see his homework still on his desk, "Rough night?"

"Ugh, yeah. Look, give me three minutes and I'll be with you." Naruto shut the door and quickly threw on his uniform and grabbed his books and backpack. No more than two minutes passed before he was leaving his room, locking the door behind him, "I kind of forgot to finish the math homework for today, so I stayed up a bit later..."

Tsukune nodded, "Yeah, I hear you. Weird stuff happened last night with our club...luckily that ninja guy showed up."

Naruto made sure to feign surprise, "Ninja? You mean that 'Arashi-Ninja' that everyone's been talking about?"

"Yeah...turns out that Gin-sempai is a pervert, and he was trying to hit on Moka. One thing lead to another, we all arrived in time to see Gin-sempai fighting with Mizore and that ninja. Turns out he's a werewolf."

"A werewolf?" Naruto chuckled, "Huh. It was a full moon out last night too. Was anyone hurt?"

Tsukune shook his head, "Not too badly. Moka reported Gin to the faculty this morning, and we're printing out an extra of our newspaper on the incident. It's clearing up my name too, heh."

"That's a relief."

The two eventually reached their homeroom just as the bell rang. After the greetings from the teacher to the students, Nekonome began her lecture on 'Monsters in Human Literature'. About five minutes into the lecture, however, the classroom door opened, and everyone turned to see an upperclassman girl holding a piece of paper. She looked in the classroom, then to Nekonome.

"Um...is there a Naruto Uzumaki in here?"

"Yes, Uzumaki-kun is here." Nekonome replied while pointing to Naruto. The girl turned to Naruto and nodded to herself.

"Uzumaki-san, I was asked to call you to the Chairman's office."

Immediately the room was filled with whispers and hushed gasps. Naruto simply raised an eyebrow while getting out of his seat, "Okay. Um...right now?"

"It sounded important." The girl replied. Naruto picked up his book bag and headed towards the door. He noted Mizore and Moka giving him worried looks while Tsukune looked almost terrified. Naruto himself didn't know what to think; did they find out he was the Arashi-Ninja? He was pretty sure that the Chairman knew he was a human, so what did he wish to speak to him about?

"Uzumaki-kun, be sure to read pages fifteen through twenty-eight from the book." Nekonome called out to the blond as he left. Naruto gave a nod before closing the door.

* * *

As he followed the upperclassman girl through the halls of the school, he continued to mull over the possible reasons for this request of his presence. He was drawing up various conclusions, none of them sounding any good. He vaguely recalled seeing the Chairman during the ceremony on his first day in Youkai, but that was it. He pretty much had no idea who this man was.

The girl eventually reached a set of large wooden doors, and stopped, "Well, the Chairman's waiting for you." She gave a bow before heading down the hall, leaving the blond alone in front of the ominous set of double doors.

He knocked once, and much to his surprise, the doors opened. He took a step back, his shinobi instincts kicking in for a moment. He unconsciously reached to his side, but then realized his kunai pouch was back in his room.

"Enter."

Naruto jumped at the sound of the eerie, yet calm, voice that emanated from the room. He was hesitant to abide by the voices command, unsure if he could fully trust it with so much unknown to him.

"Naruto-kun, I assure you that there are no dangers in here. Enter, please."

Naruto noted the voice sounded slightly more comforting, though it still sent a shiver down his spine. Exhaling deeply, he walked into the room, and took a look around.

The first thing he saw was the large wooden desk on the opposite end of the room, a giant window behind it that let the early morning light in through a crack in the curtains that were pulled halfway shut. Second was that there were shelves upon shelves of books on either side of the office, and several oddities like a candle placed on top of a human skull, a strange book in a display case with runic symbols, and various things he wasn't able to identify.

"Welcome, Naruto-kun. I trust you were able to find my office alright?"

"Er..." Naruto faced towards the desk where the Chairman was seated. He was a strange person, Naruto decided. He wore a cloak of sorts, a hood shadowing the upper portion of his face above his nose. His eyes, however seemed to be glowing, which Naruto didn't think was normal.

Then again, considering where he was, he ruled out most logical things that humans would take for granted.

Second of all was the necklace he had, bearing a cross of some sort. Naruto, being a human with sensitivity to chakra and other similar energies, was able to tell one thing was certain about this man.

He was powerful.

"Well, regardless, please have a seat." The Chairman pointed to a chair in front of his desk. Naruto did as he was asked, and faced towards the cloaked man.

"So...um...Chairman...sir...what is it you wished to speak to me about?"

The Chairman's eerie smile never left his face as he spoke, "It would appear that some incident has occurred recently...one that you can relate to directly."

Naruto's face managed to hide his nervousness, "To me?"

"Correct." The Chairman replied before continuing, "It relates to Konohagakure, and the group known as Akatsuki, if I'm right."

Naruto's eyes widened, "Akatsuki? What happened? Did they attack my village? Is anyone hurt? Are they looking for-" Naruto bit his tongue as the Chairman raised a hand to silence him.

"I think it would be best if someone else explained all that to you..." The Chairman looked to a door on the right side of the room, "You may enter now."

The door opened slowly, Naruto guessing that there was a smaller study in that room for the Chairman to go to. That was important to him though. He was more concerned with who could possibly be behind that door that wished to speak to him.

As the door opened fully, Naruto's jaw went slack. He bolted up, sweat pouring down his face, "K-K..Kaka..."

There, in the doorway, being supported by two crutches, both legs in bandages while a good portion of the head wrapped being wrapped up as well, stood Kakashi Hatake. The man looked beaten and haggard. His face showed that he had been through hell and back, well, at least the portion that Naruto could see anyway.

The Jounin looked up to Naruto before giving him a weak smile behind his mask, his visible eye closing a bit, "Naruto...I'm glad to see you're doing well..."

Naruto reached his old sensei in less than five steps, "Kakashi-sensei....wh-what the hell happened to you? You look like you've had your ass beaten by Tsunade-baachan six times before Sakura-chan had a go at you."

Kakashi chuckled a bit as he placed a single arm on Naruto's shoulder, "Well, that's not what happened, but I wish that was the case..." The silver haired man's features darkened considerably before he continued, "Naruto...I don't know how else to go about saying this..."

The blond bit his lip as he saw Kakashi struggle to speak. That was definitely not a good thing, considering what the man had been through in his lifetime. Most of the dangers of the shinobi world didn't have such a strong effect on him, as far as Naruto could tell at least, "Kakashi-sensei...?"

The Jounin took in a deep breath, exhaling and looking Naruto, the weariness and trauma from whatever he had been through showing clearly in his eyes, "Konoha's gone, Naruto...all of it's gone..."

**End of Chapter Four- Dun dun duuuuuun! What could Kakashi possibly mean? Konoha gone? Why? How?! Well, that will have to wait until next chapter for an explanation. Updates have been a bit slow lately; this is possibly the busiest semester I've had in college thus far. I have weekends, but 48 hours a week is only so much time, heheh. Well, I hope you all really enjoyed this chapter. I know I enjoyed making it. Not much to say really; Naruto's trying to keep his alter ego hidden while maintaining the facade of being a monster. Not exactly an easy task. With this new bombshell being dropped on him, expect a lot to occur for our blond haired protagonist.**

**Well, until next time, keep on reading!**

**On a final note, a HUGE thanks to my trusted beta, Paradox Jast, who has managed to make this chapter great. He really pulled out all the stops this time. I couldn't have done it without him.**


	5. Move On, Young Shinobi

**Disclaimer: The only thing I own in this fanfic is the satisfaction of having created it. Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto and Akihisa Ikedha owns Rosario+Vampire. Get it? Got it? Good.**

**Rosario+Jinchuuriki  
Chapter Five: Move On, Young Shinobi**

_The enemy had come without any prior warning. First thing he heard was that an unidentified individual had entered the barrier surrounding Konoha, and the next thing he knew, giant summons were wreaking havoc upon Konoha while civilian and shinobi alike were scattered among the fighting._

_ A few explosions went off in the distance, buildings going up in flames. Kakashi cursed whatever higher power had allowed the village to be attacked like this, and headed towards the scene._

_ "Kakashi-senpai! Wait!"_

_ The Jounin halted just as he was about to jump off to the fighting, looking over his shoulder to see a weary looking male shinobi in ANBU attire, "What?"_

_ "Hokage-sama has requested you go to the Hokage Tower immediately. No questions asked."_

_ Kakashi let out a groan, but turned around, running towards the tower. Within less than a minute, Kakashi was on the roof of the Hokage Tower where Tsunade was looking over the scene, "Hokage-sama?"_

_ Tsunade looked to the Jounin, closed her eyes, and turned back to the scene, "Kakashi...I need you to leave the village with Sakura. Now."_

_ "W-what?" Kakashi asked, "Hokage-sama, I'm sure you're aware of the fact that we're-"  
_

_ "I'm perfectly aware that we're under attack!!" Tsunade snapped, "Kakashi Hatake, I'm assigning you an S-class mission. This mission may very well be the last mission I ever give you, so listen well."_

_ Kakashi bowed his head, "Forgive me, Hokage-sama."_

_ "Whatever, just listen." Tsunade looked back to the carnage before speaking, "You're to leave Konoha with Sakura and take with you the one existent copy of the scroll that held the instructions for teleporting to the world Naruto's residing in. The scroll is the key to keeping Akatsuki from succeeding in whatever the hell they plan on doing with the bijuu. Sakura is the only other person who has any knowledge of that scroll's existence; if Akatsuki catches wind of the fact she was Naruto's teammate, they'll likely try to capture her and interrogate her. If they intercept that scroll..."_

_ Kakashi gave a nod, "I understand."_

_ Tsunade pulled a small scroll out of her pocket that was simply labeled 'Youkai', "Guard it with your life if you must, Kakashi."_

_ Kakashi gave another bow, "When do I return, Hokage-sama?"_

_ "...when it's safe. For now, find a secure place outside of the village to lay low. One of the nearby towns may work. If worse comes to worse though, you are to use the scroll itself and travel to the place where Naruto is residing. I believe you've already been given a brief rundown on the situation at that place, correct?" She saw the Jounin nod, "Very well. You have your orders, Kakashi."_

_ "Understood." Kakashi replied. He dashed off, trying to peg the location of his former student, Sakura. He quickly ran through a few hand seals and slammed a hand on the ground, calling forth a small dog._

_ "Kakashi, what's up?" spoke Pakkun._

_ The Jounin nodded to the dog, "I need you to lead me to Sakura."_

_ "You got it." Pakkun gave a pawed salute and sniffed the air, "Follow me!"_

* * *

_ Sakura heaved back a sigh as she crushed in the head of a gigantic centipede-like summon with her bare fists. She had been a bit shocked to find such giant creatures running wild within the village's walls. _

_ Taking matters into her own hands, literally, she had run towards a group of retreating civilians and decked the many legged summon creature in the head, effectively stopping it in its path. She surveyed the area and noticed a few injured shinobi lying nearby. She ran towards them, and without even thinking set to work on healing._

_ As she mended wounds with her healing chakra, an uneasy feeling crept over her. She glanced over her shoulder and gasped._

_ There stood the centipede creature she had supposedly killed moments ago. Its exoskeleton was dented pretty badly on the head area, but it was still alive. The massive creature let out a screech before snapping its jaws repeatedly and lunging towards the kunoichi._

_ The bug was moving surprisingly quick. She hopped onto a roof, only for the segmented beast to be right behind her. She hopped a few more times from roof to roof, hoping to draw it away from the injured._

_ "This has to be Akatsuki..." Sakura thought, "They're probably after Naruto. Tsunade-sama was right; they would come here to capture him sooner rather than later."_

_ Sakura jumped off another roof, but before she could land, a massive object made contact with her side, sending her flying into a building. She let out a cry of pain as her back hit the wall hard, a loud snapping sound reverberating in her body as she landed. She tried to get up, but found her legs unresponsive._

_ "Oh no, please not here!" Sakura panicked, trying to move her legs. Now that she took a moment...she couldn't feel any pain from legs all of the sudden. Nothing! Her arms, torso, and head were fine...but she couldn't feel anything from her waist down._

_ "I must have damaged my spinal cord below the thoracic vertebrae..." Sakura thought, pulling out a kunai. She was running on adrenaline now, and leg movement or not, she would be damned if she went down without putting up something of a fight._

_ The summon made a clicking sound as it approached her. Its jaws opened, and it let out another screech before lunging towards Sakura. The kunoichi threw her kunai, and effectively hit one of the eyes of the beast. However, this only deterred it for a moment, and it recovered and raised its head up to get a good look at the kunoichi. Sakura scooted against a wall and propped herself against it._

_ "I won't die...not yet...!" Sakura felt her hands tremble as she grabbed another kunai. She could probably get the injuries to her spinal column treated, but only within an hour's time. After that, even the miraculous powers of chakra wouldn't be able to fix the nerve tissue damage on her spinal cord."_

_ The centipede lunged a second time, and Sakura threw her kunai. This time, unfortunately, the kunai bounced harmlessly off the exoskeleton._

_ Sakura had not expected to move to the side, however. She found herself on the ground, about a foot away from where the centipede's might jaws had clamped down. She had been in that very spot only moments ago. How had she moved though?_

_ Looking towards the beast, she found the answer to her question. There, less than a foot from the jaws of the beast was Sai. He held his right arm with his left. Well, what should have been his right arm, anyway. He grit his teeth, "S-Sakura, are you alright?"_

_ Sakura blinked several times; Sai had managed to push her out of the way? She focused her attention on her teammate, than to the wound he had received, "Oh, Sai! Your arm!"_

_ Sai shook his head, "I think it would be best if we not talk about that." He got up and ran towards the kunoichi, and without a word, picked her up, "Are you able to hold on?"_

_ "Yes."_

_ Sai leaped onto the rooftops with Sakura holding her arms around his shoulders, intent on getting some distance between them and the summon. It seemed the giant creature had lost interest, luckily, and the duo managed to land several blocks away from the creature._

_ "Sai, give me your arm."_

_ "It can-"_

_ "Don't bullshit with me, now show me!" Sakura growled. Sai gave in, and held out what was now a stump of his right arm, having been severed by the razor sharp jaws of the centipede. What was worse, if Sakura remembered correctly, that had been Sai's drawing arm._

_ "Did the other part of your arm fall to the ground?"_

_ Sai shook his head, "I think that bug ate it."_

_ Sakura sighed, and set to work. She quickly pumped healing chakra over the wound, and then called upon her chakra scalpel and ran it over the stump, effectively cauterizing it, "That's not the best that I could do, but it'll have to suffice. Fake limbs can be applied later; I only gave it a light cauterizing, so we can place something over it later and-"_

_ "Sakura! Sai!"_

_ The two looked to see Kakashi, along with Pakkun, landing beside them. The Jounin nodded once to the small dog, and the canine dismissed itself in a puff of smoke, "Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura gave a confused look to the Jounin, "I thought you'd be out on the front lines."_

_Kakashi shook his head to the rosette, "No, I'm afraid I've got other orders from Tsunade-sama herself." He looked to Sai, "Sai, would you be able to help me and Sakura get out of the village?"_

_ "What?!" Sakura shouted, "Kakashi-sensei, are you saying we're abandoning the-"_

_ "No. We're under _orders_, Sakura. Now come on, let's get moving."_

_"I can't." _

_ Kakashi looked to Sakura, "What are you talking about? Sakura, we have no time to waste here, let's-"_

_"She's paralyzed from the waist down, Kakashi-sensei." Sai replied._

_ Kakashi's eyes widened, and he noticed Sakura look away with something resembling shame in her eyes, "I see. Sakura, grab a hold of my shoulders and I'll carry you."_

_ After getting the kunoichi on his back, the trio ran towards the main gate of Konoha. It was rather easy, all things considered, seeing as there were shinobi running all about. They blended it rather well._

_ The gate could be seen from where they were as they ran down the main drag of Konoha. In about another two minutes they would be there and out of the village walls. If they could just get outside the walls..._

****_Kakashi felt a sudden weight settle upon him before an explosion went off somewhere within Konoha's center. Less than a second later, a cloud of dust blasted towards him. He was flung into the air, still holding Sakura, and crashed hard onto the roof of a building as the structure collapsed from the random shockwave._

_ He fell down through the building's roof, smashing his arms and legs against the wooden structures, feeling his bones break several times as he fell through the wooden structure. He landed hard, groaning in pain as he looked up._

_ For a moment, he couldn't hear anything, an incessant buzzing in his ears the only sound audible to him. He looked around him, taking in the scenery before him. _

_ Chaos. That was all he could think. Konoha lay in ruin around him. How? How could the mighty village of Konoha fall so damn quickly? The placed had been leveled in a single attack? What kind of jutsu could do such a thing?_

_ The village, which had been a loud and noisy wreck just several moments ago, was now eerily quiet. He extended his senses a bit...but only felt the chakra signatures of Sakura and Sai. It was as if the village had been silenced._

_ Konoha had been destroyed in a single swoop, the Jounin realized. He glanced around; the Hokage Tower, the gate, the various estates...it was all destroyed. Hell, he was pretty sure that they were in the middle of a crater now. Whatever had hit them had impacted with the village with an incredible force._

_ "K-Kakashi...sensei..." _

_ The Jounin looked over his shoulder while wincing in pain, and noticed the pink haired girl had a jagged piece of wood embedded in her back. _

_ "Sakura!" Kakashi spoke. Gritting his teeth and ignoring the sharp sensations from his injuries, he managed to dig into his pocket and pulled out the scroll Tsunade had given him. He noticed that Sai was only several feet away from the two, which was next to miraculous._

_ Using his strength, Kakashi dragged him and the now unconscious Sakura over to the injured Root member, and tore open the scroll before lifting his hitai-ate, exposing his Sharingan. He let out a ragged breath as he read over the scroll's contents with his Sharingan, put the scroll back into his pocket, and set Sakura gently onto the ground. He continued to ignore the sharp pain in his shoulders, thankful they hadn't been dislocated, and began to form seals as fast as his beaten body could allow. _

_ After what felt like a minute, Kakashi slammed his hands onto the ground, "Fuuin: Tenchi Chouyaku no Jutsu!"_

_ A glowing light surrounded the Jounin, and he quickly grabbed both of the younger shinobi and pulled them towards him. He felt a pull on his navel area, and his world went white. _

_ Anyone who would have arrived at the scene where he used the Realm Jump technique would have only found a small plume of smoke, and nothing more._

* * *

"...and that's pretty much what happened." Kakashi finished. He had taken a chair in front of the Chairman's desk, and was now watching the blond in front of him, "Sakura's been in a mild, unresponsive state, but she's not comatose, thankfully. Sai's in the intensive care unit of the Academy hospital area with her, and thanks to Sakura, most of the major problems have been resolved for him. He'll need a full treatment though from a better hospital, however."

Kakashi was quiet afterwards, staring at the rather unreadable expression Naruto had on his face. The blond seemed to be giving no sign of emotion, his eyes refusing to blink. Kakashi was getting worried, preparing to speak again when he saw it.

A build up of moisture in Naruto's eyes. He could see the boy's throat begin to tighten, and the boy's lips opened as he grit his teeth.

"...so...you think it was Akatsuki?"

Kakashi sighed, "I'd put my money on it. The summons were a bit odd to me; I'd never seen such creatures before." He looked to see the blond hadn't made any indication that he was listening, "The explosion was definitely chakra based, that much I could tell. I just couldn't tell where or how it happened."

Naruto's eyes remained glued to the floor as he spoke, "If I had been there..."

"Naruto, if you had been there, you might have been captured." Kakashi began, "We're here because of you. I know you hate to hear this, but your safety is, in the end, more valuable than my own."

Naruto slowly shook his head, "Why didn't anyone stop them before they got there?"

The Jounin closed his eyes, "I think they managed to get some knowledge on Konoha's patrolling system, and they obviously expected the barrier. They came more prepared than we were."

Naruto was silent for almost a minute before he let out a ragged breath, "First Ero-Sennin...now Konoha..."

"Well, there's always the chance that shinobi survived, Naruto." Kakashi pointed out, trying to grasp at whatever he could. Naruto was showing telltale signs of an approaching mental breakdown.

Naruto's breathing began to quicken, "Why? Why does it always happen to the people I care about?" He balled his hands into fists, "This is all because of me being the Jinchuuriki of Kono-"

Kakashi took a step forward, placing a firm, yet supportive, hand on his shoulder, "Naruto, it's not your fault..." The Jounin then recalled the information Tsunade had given him about what Naruto had likely learned about recently, "Your father did what he had to do to save Konoha those years back. You're not at fault for holding a bijuu within you."

The blond's bangs shadowed his eyes as he looked to the ground, "How can you possibly believe that I'm not to blame for what happened to Konoha?"

Kakashi was taken aback by Naruto's tone; it was so...hollow. The boy's eyes looked up to Kakashi, a bitter smile on his face, "No matter what I do to help, I still bring problems to them because of Akatsuki. Ninja have died to protect me...and I'm still too weak to do anything about it."

Kakashi watched as Naruto slowly walked towards the door leading out of the office. Kakashi opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He couldn't think of anything to say that would bring the blond out of this depression. Hell, he was pretty sure the kid was still beating himself up over the loss of Jiraiya. Now he had this bomb dropped on him...

The door closed as the Jinchuuriki boy left the office. Kakashi's head drooped as he sat in a chair, "My apologies, Chairman. I think I've just made things worse for Naruto."

The Chairman frowned a bit, "You've all been through hardships that most beings, human and monster alike, would have probably given up after experiencing. Your people are truly a model of resilience." He turned towards the window behind him, and opened the drapes as he stood up, "You're free to stay as long as you need. I can help set up a place for the three of you to live in outside of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area of Japan."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, "Japan?"

The Chairman nodded, "Correct. Japan's an island nation with a long cultural history. Based on what Jiraiya-sama had told me about your world, you'll probably be able to adjust to the area easily. It's outside of the busy city and residential area, a good kilometer or so from a nice temple and shrine as well. I think you and your students could use some peace after what you've been through."

"Thank you...but what about Naruto? I think we should keep an eye on him as well." the Jounin added.

"I'm aware of that. You'll be happy to know that we have several events throughout the year where family members are encouraged to visit the students. That and we have a mailing service if you wish to keep in touch with him, as well as phones and e-mail."

"E-mail?" Kakashi repeated, "...just how much further ahead of us is your world to that of the Elemental Nations in technology?"

The Chairman chuckled, "Several centuries in some aspects, less in others."

Kakashi shook his head, "I should probably go after Naruto. Depression and him are not good together."

The Chairman nodded, "I suppose you know him better than I do. Just be careful around here; our world's not exactly 'human-friendly'."

The Jounin nodded, and got up, limping out of the office on both crutches to try and catch up with his wayward student.

* * *

Mizore was worried when the hour came and went and Naruto had not returned to class. Was he in trouble?

She sighed as she entered the girl's gym locker room, and changed her clothes. She didn't see him on the way to gym class; Naruto never missed gym class unless he had a good reason. Something was definitely wrong. Whether it was something that involved him academically or otherwise, she didn't know, but she just hoped he was okay.

The class went on fairly quickly. Basketball always seemed to be that way for Mizore. She just wished that Naruto was there to help her team. The other students also took notice of his absence; especially the ones who were usually playing on the same team as him and Mizore.

After gym, she quickly headed towards Nekonome's classroom for Newspaper Club. She entered, and noticed that she was actually early. The only other person there was Gin. He turned towards the sound of the door opening, and offered her a small smile, "Hey, Mizore."

Mizore gave a withering glare, but decided to try and give the boy a second chance with being her friend, "Gin-senpai." She nodded.

"You alright? You look bothered." Gin asked, sounding genuinely concerned, "I can't have my writers stressed out if we plan on getting the first issue out before the end of the week."

Mizore pulled the sucker she usually had in her mouth out, "Do you know anything about the Chairman of Youkai Academy?"

Gin raised an eyebrow, "The Chairman? Not personally, but I hear he's a really intelligent being among Youkai. I've also heard he has amazing powers."

"Oh..." Mizore sighed, "That's...worrisome."

"Why do you ask?" Gin questioned, pulling up a chair as Mizore plopped into a desk.

"It's...about Naruto-kun. He was called to the Chairman's office during homeroom today." Mizore answered, "I was worried that he got in trouble with the school..."

A knowing smile crossed Gin's lips, "Naruto-_kun_, huh? Would this Naruto happen to be the same one that recently joined the Karate Club?"

Mizore's faced with flushed lightly with red, "Y-yes. He's a good friend of mine. I respect him a lot, and he's a truly nice person."

Gin raised his hands in defense, "Alright, no need to get all flustered." He rubbed his chin, "Well, usually if the Chairman wants to speak to someone in person, then it's probably more important than receiving punishment. The Police Committee seems to holding a monopoly over the punishment area." A scowl formed on Gin's features as he finished speaking.

The door opened, and the two looked to see Yukari, Kurumu, Moka, and Tsukune entering the classroom. Kurumu sent Mizore a worried look, "Is it true? Naruto-kun was sent to the Chairman's office?" Mizore nodded, and the succubus frowned, "Oh..."

"W-well, I'm sure it's nothing bad, right?" Yukari spoke up, trying to lighten the mood, "Maybe it's something good! Maybe he's getting honors for gym class?"

Gin snorted a bit, "That would be a first."

After a few more minutes of talking about the blond haired boy, the group decided to set their mind on their work. Kurumu began to finish up her article on making butterscotch and toffee cookies while Moka and Yukari continued on their article for studying tips. Tsukune was trying to figure out how to start his article on local happenings in school sports while Mizore did the finishing touches on her 'start of the school year' article.

Meanwhile, Gin was tapping his pencil on the desk he sat at while looking at a photograph he had managed to take, "Who are you?" He asked, looking at the picture.

The photo was of a figure delivering a powerful uppercut to one of the mermaids from the Swimming Club. Ever since his recent encounter with the Arashi-Ninja, Gin had curious as to who the person was behind the mask. Well, if he was honest with himself, he had been curious since he first encountered the kid. He was definitely a kid; probably younger than him, even.

"Gin-senpai?"

The club president looked up and smiled as Mizore handed him an article, "Ah, great. First article for the paper is finished then, huh?"

Mizore nodded, "It's no more than a page long, but I figured if I made it any longer I'd be wasting space." The Yuki-onna looked at the photo on Gin's desk and let out a hum, "The Arashi-Ninja?"

Gin frowned as she smirked, "Yeah, yeah...just don't bring up that last incident. I said I'm sorry, right?"

"For scaring Moka and attacking her. You never apologized for what you did to Tsukune, though." Mizore added, "You should do that if you ever plan on getting back on good terms with the rest of them."

Gin shrugged, "Sure." He lifted the photo, "It's a shame, really. The guy's obviously a great fighter, though from what I saw, he has no true combat style. He was hard to read at times." The werewolf chuckled, "You know, I can't say I hate the guy. He's so far done more good than the Police Committee's ever done for our school."

Kurumu, who overheard the conversation, walked over to the desk, "What's the matter with the Police Committee? Better yet, who are they to begin with?"

"Who, the Police Committee?" Gin asked, receiving a nod from the succubus, "Officially speaking, they're supposedly the policing force of Youkai, but I'd hardly call them that. They're a group of students who are especially strong. They monitor the day to day activities of the students and make sure nothing 'bad' happens." He rolled his neck a bit before he continued, "Now, I don't want you repeating this for your own sakes, but I think they're a group of power-hungry bastards who are hellbent on making this place a completely militarized area. They punish without questioning, and they have been known to on more than one occasion lock up students for no reason other than 'suspicion of illicit activities'. You never see those kids again."

Kurumu shuddered, "They sound horrible."

"They're corrupt." Gin spoke, "I've had a bit of a history with them, being the only source of student-run press around here. Word spreads fast through the news, and of course if anything that could hurt their image is reported, I have to deal with them."

By now, everyone in the room was listening. Tsukune decided to speak, "So...how come you're not expelled?"

Gin snickered, "They don't want to lose face with the student body, believe it or not. Even if they are the policing force, if the majority doesn't like them, they'll have more work cut out for them. I guess I'm lucky with having a good portion of the students favoring me."

"Even though you're a pervert?" Yukari asked with a flat expression. Gin simply grinned.

"Do you think that the Arashi-Ninja is at risk of being arrested?" Moka asked.

"Hard to say. I mean...he's obviously overstepping boundaries with the vigilante business, but not once have I heard that he killed anyone. That's a definite plus. Not only that, but he's actually _helping_ students. Not just doing whatever he feels like."

The group was quiet for a moment as they all let Gin's words sink in. If this Police Committee was a real problem, then why weren't they being dealt with by the academy? Surely students have reported them, right?

"Well, regardless, I want to try and see what we can do about getting information on this ninja guy."

It was Moka who decided to speak up upon hearing that, "You don't plan on exposing who he is, do you?" Her voice sounded somewhat defensive, "I mean..he saved us twice now."

"Yeah, and fought me the second time." Gin grumbled, "No, I don't want to expose this guy's identity. I just want to...I don't know, get a better understanding of _why_ he does what he does, you know?"

"I could see about getting information on him." Mizore spoke.

Gin smiled, "Great! How do you plan on going about that?"

Kurumu snorted with laughter, "She's good at hiding. Trust us, she can do this better than any of us."

The werewolf blinked in mild confusion, but shrugged it off, accepting what the underclassmen were willing to contribute, "Fair enough. Let's continue for another hour or two before we break for the day."

"Right." The group replied, continuing with their business.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Uzumaki-san hasn't reported in to visit either of the two recent patients, Hakate-san." replied the nurse, "If I see him though, I'll be sure to let him know you were looking for him.

"Thank you, it's appreciated." Kakashi gave the school nurse a nod before walking down the hall towards Sakura's room. He had thought Naruto would visit Sakura and Sai...

Kakashi opened the door quietly, looking in to see his former student lying on the bed, sleeping peacefully. He let out a breath and walked in slowly.

The quiet beeping a of a machine let him know that she was fine, but still unconscious. He wasn't sure what most of the equipment did, it was a little different from the stuff that had been at Konoha's hospital, and there were some additional devices attached to her that he was pretty sure he had never seen before. They didn't use any seals or healing jutsu on her, but anesthetics and antibiotics that he had never heard of before. No herbs either.

He chalked it all up to the supposed technology 'gap' between the two worlds. He was just thankful that she was fine for the most part. The doctors had stated she would probably be up within a day or two.

Taking a good look at her, he couldn't help but feel a slight wave of depression fall upon himself. The breathing mask around her, along with all the tubes connecting to her, made the once proud and strong kunoichi appear frail and weak. If perhaps he had been there sooner...

Shaking his head, he looked to the other bed in the room, and his thoughts lightened up a little. Sai was currently sleeping soundly, having been knocked out some time ago after his arm had been thoroughly treated. Had it not been for him, Sakura may have been killed.

The nurses had commented that his arm looked well-healed, considering it had been treated in such a dangerous situation by Sakura. Kakashi had stated that Sakura was one of the village's best medi-nin, which the hospital faculty seemed to accept without any questions. If anything, it drove them to work harder on getting the girl back to the conscious world faster.

"Hatake-san?"

Kakashi turned towards the door to see the nurse giving him a sad smile, "I'm sorry, but I can only allow a limited visiting time for these two children. They need as much rest as possible."

The Jounin gave a nod, "I understand. I just wanted to make sure they're doing alright." He limped over to the door way, crutches creaking a bit as he moved, "How is Sai doing?"

"He's recovered well, physically at least. I don't think he'll be recovering as quickly from the mental damage though. Losing his right arm seems to been a major blow to his psyche." the nurse replied with a frown, looking to the pale-skinned boy.

"I can imagine. He did well, all things considered." Kakashi agreed.

"How about yourself, Hatake-san? Are you feeling alright?"

The Jounin gave a nod while smiling, his eyes closing a little as he turned to the nurse, "I'm hardly in any shape to complain. There's only a dull throbbing in my left leg, but it seems my fractures in the arms weren't as bad as I thought."

The nurse gave a small frown to the man, "I still believe it would be better if you were to stay in a bed until you're fully recovered."

Kakashi chuckled quietly, "We shinobi heal faster than you may think. I've had much worse than this and moved without too much trouble."

"If you insist. I wish the Chairman would allow us to treat you properly, but apparently he trusts in your judgment."

"Mah, I've never been a fan of hospitals as it is. Don't worry about me; get these kids up and moving and I'll follow in suit."

"Hatake-san, will you be resting here tonight?"

The Jounin, who was now heading towards the exit of the hospital wing, stopped and glanced over his shoulder, "Hm? Oh, yes, if you could get a bed made for me, I would appreciate that."

The nurse smiled while giving a nod, "Understood. Good luck with your search for Uzumaki-san."

"Thanks."

Kakashi walked down the corridors of the school once more, thinking to himself on where Naruto could have possibly gone. If the boy wasn't visiting his teammates, and wasn't in class...

"He's either wandering aimlessly or training..." Kakashi thought, "Well, I should see if I can pinpoint his chakra anywhere."

Kakashi's eyes closed as he tried to get a peg on the boy's chakra signature. With his senses heightened, he'd have an easier time finding the boy, hopefully...

"...hope Naruto-kun's...he's been busy...is, he doesn't need any more stress..."

Kakashi's eyes opened; someone was talking about Naruto? Well, Kakashi believed that it was the same Naruto he knew; not too many kids were named after a product made of fish that was put in your ramen broth.

He looked down the hall where the voice was coming from, and spotted a purple haired girl talking with a girl that had light blue colored hair. They both were heading towards him. He raised a hand and waved, giving them a kind smile—even if they couldn't see it, "Afternoon, girls."

The two stopped, and gave him a rather startled look upon seeing his appearance. The girl with light blue colored hair, who Kakashi noted had a severe case of early physical maturity, spoke first, "Ah, um...hello...is there something we can help you with."

Kakashi gave a nod, "I couldn't help but overhear you speaking about a person I may know. Were you by any chance talking about a certain Naruto Uzumaki?"

Mizore and Kurumu exchanged nervous expressions before Mizore spoke, "Yes...that's the Naruto we know. What about him?"

Kakashi maintained his disarming demeanor; no sense in making the two girls any more uneasy, "I'm Kakashi Hatake, and Naruto used to be a student of mine back in our little village. I was just hoping to see him. I have something important to talk to him about."

"Is that why he got called to the Chairman's office? To talk to you?"

Kakashi sighed, "Well, yes...but we never got to finish talking."

"So, what did you teach back where you lived?" Mizore asked.

Kakashi spoke before he even thought it through, "Philosophy."

Kurumu gave the man an incredulous look, "Philosophy? You don't look like someone who'd teach something like _that_."

"Well, if you're going to be that way, I can't see how you're of school age with your top heavy physique." Kakashi replied without missing a beat. Kurumu blinked while her mouth opened and closed, trying to formulate a response.

Mizore laughed a bit, "Sorry, Kakashi-san. We're good friends with Naruto, actually." She placed a hand on Kurumu's shoulders to keep her from attempting to cause any harm to the Jounin, "I'm Mizore Shirayuki, and this is my friend Kurumu Kurono."

"Well, it's good to see some of the youth still retains manners." Kakashi said, further teasing Kurumu as she glowered at him, "So, do you have any idea where I may be able to find Naruto?"

Kurumu regained her composure somewhat, "Why did he leave the office?"

"Ah," Kakashi scratched his head, "The topic of discussion was a touchy subject to him, but it was of great importance that I talked to him about it..."

"Is it something bad?" Mizore asked, sensing that the silver haired man wasn't telling them the whole story.

"Yes, for the most part I'd say it was about something that wasn't good for him to hear. Like I said, though, it was important that he knew about what I told him."

Mizore hummed in thought, "Naruto's fairly good at making himself hard to find when he wants. We're all in the Newspaper Club, except for him. He's in the Karate Club. I heard he likes to spend his free time practicing in the dojo."

_"Karate Club, huh?"_ Kakashi held back a chuckle; he was happy that Naruto had found an outlet for his endless supply of energy, "Do you think you could help direct me to the Karate Club's dojo?"

Kurumu and Mizore agreed to help Kakashi to the dojo. Within ten minutes they had reached the gymnasium, and when they walked into the dojo and asked for Naruto, the Karate Club members stated that he hadn't appeared at all today for practice.

"That's not like him. Naruto loves gym and Karate Club." Mizore stated, "Just how bad was the news you gave him?"

Kakashi shook his head, "It's...a personal matter."

The two girls decided not to pry, but they were now more concerned for their blond friend's well being. After searching around the campus area for a good hour and a half, the trio had realized it was getting close to dark.

"I'm sorry we couldn't help find him, Hatake-san." Kurumu spoke to the Jounin, "We'll be sure to let the Chairman know if we find him."

Kakashi gave the two a thankful nod, "I would appreciate it. Sorry for taking up so much of your time."

"It's alright, Kakashi-san." Mizore replied while waving a hand, "Naruto's our friend. Anything that concerns him is not a waste of our time."

With that, Kakashi made his way back to the main academic building. Thought he wouldn't show it openly, he was a bit exhausted. He hardly got any rest since he had warped over her from Konoha, and it was starting to affect him. He'd need all the rest he could get if he planned on continuing with the last mission he ever received from Tsunade.

Watching over Naruto, Sakura, and Sai was his top priority now. He'd be damned if he let them down. He had an idea formulating in his mind on what he could do for Naruto, as well as Sakura and Sai. It'd be a shot in the dark for him, and the very idea may also upset the three young shinobi horribly. Still, if his idea worked, he'd be able to better help them in this new world. He'd have to discuss with the Chairman on the options available to him...

If adoption was anything like it was in Konoha, then he was sure there would be more than enough paperwork for the Jounin to deal with.

* * *

It was probably around eight o' clock by the time Tsukune had managed to finish up his homework. He stretched a bit and let out a yawn, "Gah, now that I got that out of the way," He looked over to his window and noticed the sun had long set behind the horizon. He got up and walked out of his dorm room. Heading down the hall, he stopped in front of Naruto's room. Knocking three times, he waited for the blond to answer, but none came.

"Huh...wonder where he is..." Tsukune pondered. He walked down the staircase, and exited the boys' dorm. He walked down the road to the girls' dorms. He walked through the front office and signed in on the guests' list.

Heading up a few floors, he walked over to the door that belonged to Moka. Knocking once, he heard a "Just a second!" from the other side. The door opened to reveal Moka in her pajamas, "Oh! Tsukune-kun!" Her face burst out into a smile, "What are you doing here? It's a bit late to be visiting, don't you think?"

"Ah, sorry to bother you like that, Moka." Tsukune apologized, "I was just wondering if the others ever found out where Naruto went. He didn't answer when I knocked on his door, and I don't think he's returned since he left class earlier today."

Moka shook her head, "Kurumu stopped by with Mizore, and apparently they found out a little bit on the reason why Naruto was called to the Chairman's office."

"What was the reason?"

"Well, I guess a former teacher of Naruto's from his hometown stopped by to talk to Naruto about something that was both 'important and upsetting', at least that's what Mizore said." The vampire girl scratched her cheek, "The teacher was a bit of an odd one, according to Kurumu, but he taught Philosophy in Naruto's school back home. His name was Kakashi or something like that."

"Scarecrow?" Tsukune thought, "That's a weird name..."

"Hm...then again, Naruto's named after a fishcake." Moka added, "I guess his village has a love for unconventional names."

Tsukune nodded, "Um...could I come in?"

Moka smiled, "Sure, Tsukune-kun. I made some pasta, and I had planned on saving some for tomorrow, but you're welcome to have some of it."

After helping himself to a bowl of the spaghetti and tomato sauce that Moka had made, Tsukune sighed, "I hope Naruto's alright. If what Mizore and Kurumu said is true, then Naruto probably got some really bad news from back home."

"You know...we haven't seen much of Naruto at all lately outside of class. He hasn't come over and study more than a handful of times with us, and Yukari said he never shows up for her tutoring lessons anymore. I know it's been only a few weeks since school started, but it seems so unlike him to just...disappear like that."

"I know." Tsukune looked to see Moka was looking out her window at the moon, "Something wrong, Moka?"

"Just thinking back on when Gin-senpai had that incident with us..." Moka sighed, "I'm glad he's apologized to us, and I really think he's learned his lesson, but..." She frowned, "I can't help but wonder why so many of the boys around here are trying to...to..."

"To force you to be with them?" Tsukune offered. Moka looked up and gave a weak smile.

"I guess that's the best way to put it...though I'm not sure if that was the case with Saizou. When Gin-senpai was with me, at least he wasn't hurting me outright. Not until my other self came out, that is."

"Yeah, and then the Arashi-Ninja showed up. Though, I think you saved him that night, heheh." Tsukune joked.

"Really?"

Tsukune raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, don't you remember? Gin-senpai had him pinned on the ground when you jumped in to help him." Tsukune laughed, "You even manged to kick him off the roof, heh."

"I...I barely remember any of that. It's like I'm in a dream most of the time when my inner half is taking over. We've only spoken a little to each other, but she never tells me much of what she does."

"Wow...so it's almost like two different parts of you are in one, huh?" Tsukune laughed.

"Not exactly. We're on in the same, it's just that her 'half' is what the rosary suppresses that's part of me." Moka chewed on her thumb as she thought, "My father made it for me years ago...I never started talking to my inner self until just recently though."

"Well, I like you no matter what 'part' is awake, Moka." Tsukune declared with a smile. Moka blushed prettily and gave a small 'Thanks.' Tsukune just grinned a little, a light blush adorning his own face.

The two chatted for about another hour, Moka asking in her most sugar-coated voice if Tsukune would let her suck on his blood. After having her late night snack, she hugged Tsukune tightly and said she needed to get to sleep, thanking him for the blood.

Tsukune, despite feeling a little lightheaded from the sudden blood loss, couldn't really find a reason to complain. She was possibly the sweetest girl he had ever met, and she was incredibly smart too. Not to mention beautiful, charismatic, creative...

"I could probably go on and on..." Tsukune laughed as he headed back to the boys' dorm.

* * *

Three days had gone by since Naruto had gone missing from Tsukune and the others. Several times they had looked around campus, no sign of him in any of his usual haunts. They had started to worry that maybe he had dropped out without telling anyone, but Nekonome as well as his other classes still called out his name when they were doing attendance.

Tomorrow the first issue of the Newspaper would be released to the student populous. Mizore was rather excited; she had managed to get two articles made for it, a second being a small poetry section where she also would allow students to make contributions.

Currently she was on her way back to the girls' dorm, but had decided to take the scenic route, going along the path near the jagged cliffs overlooking the ocean near campus. She needed to clear her thoughts. Despite the excitement running through her on being able to release the first issue of the newspaper, she couldn't help but think about what became of Naruto. She had visited Kakashi again since she first saw the man, more or less to ask if he had any luck finding the blond. He too had not found the blond yet, so her mood had been relatively sour for the past two days.

She wasn't entirely sure _why_ she had been feeling as such lately. It wasn't like Naruto was a person she was in love with or anything. He was a dear friend at best, but she still didn't know much about him.

Maybe it was because she just enjoyed his presence? Something about the boy just made her feel safe and secure, she supposed. It was like he was emitting a safety blanket-like aura at all times. She supposed it was just the way his life force was like. However, she also sensed a deeper part of him that he kept locked up inside him. She was by no means a psychic, but she could had a knack for seeing people at face value. Naruto was trustworthy, but she got the impression that he was the kind of person who wouldn't throw his concerns on others without reason.

"He's probably going to show up in a few days if he's still on campus and act like nothing happened." Mizore thought, "I'll have to get the truth from him."

"Well, if it isn't our favorite Yuki-onna."

Mizore froze in place, feeling a sudden dread wash over her. She turned around to see none other Kotsubo Okuto standing a few feet behind her, "K-Kotsubo-sensei?"

"You shouldn't be wandering around here when it's so windy out, Shirayuki-san. If a strong wind were to blow you off the cliff...well..." He chuckled while walking towards her, the expression on his face not giving off the best of vibes to the girl.

"W-what do you want, Kotsubo-sensei? I asked that you leave me alone, and we'd just forget about what happ-"

He gave her a small smile,"I'm afraid that won't be happening, Shirayuki-san." Okuto spoke, "You see, I recently found out that you're part of the Newspaper Club, of all things. That's not good for me. Suppose that you decide to write a rather slanderous article about me..." His smile was now a rather wicked grin, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to rid this school of you, Shirayuki-san."

Mizore backed away from the gym teacher, though she found herself running out of ground. Turning around, she could see that there was no more than a foot between her and the edge of the cliff looking out towards the ocean.

"Kotsubo-sensei, leave me alone." She stated firmly, her hair starting to turn a light blue while the temperature around her began to cool rapidly, "If you come any closer, I'll-"

Mizore's voice was cut off as something wrapped around her throat. She felt her air supply suddenly drop, and looked to see a giant tentacle coming from what used to be the arms of the gym teacher. He now had the body of an octopus from what it appeared, yet he also had his human body as well.

"Wh-what are you??" Mizore asked in a strained voice, unsure what to make of the monstrosity before her.

"A Kraken." Okuto replied with a chuckle, "A mythical beast of the sea; often blamed for shipwrecks in the older days of human seafaring." He walked towards the edge of the cliff while keeping his grip around Mizore's neck tight, "I was just teasing you, Shirayuki-san, at the start. Then you had to go and get all defensive about it, and let us be seen by that damn Uzumaki boy." Okuto dropped off the cliff while holding onto some roots sticking out of the ground with his tentacles, "I guess you're leaving me no alternative. I'll just drag you down with me to the bottom of the ocean!!"

"No...." Mizore choked out, her vision growing blurry from the lack of oxygen, "I..."

* * *

Naruto sat on a branch near the edge of the forest where he had his training ground set up. He had been here for a couple of days now, and in truth, he wasn't sure why he had gone and hid like that. He was still feeling pretty crappy, no doubt about it, but the thought of what Jiraiya had said in his letter replayed in his mind.

Jiraiya had basically, in his own way, stated that Naruto was a man of great potential. He had the Will of Fire within him, damn it, and he refused to let it die off now. After realizing that sulking and lamenting about Konoha wasn't going to do him anything, he decided to work on his training even more so.

So for the past day he had been spending four hour increments going through everything he knew. He went through _Fuuton_, _Suiton_, Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, katas, Fuuinjutsu...by the time he was finished, he had napped for half the day. He had just woken up and was trying to collect his thoughts now.

"I can't let that happen again..." Naruto thought aloud, his thoughts on the fate of Konoha, "...I can't let anyone else I know get hurt because of me."

The faces of Tsukune, Moka, Mizore, Yukari, and Kurumu went through his mind. They had made friends with him, and for that he was thankful. There was the fact he hadn't shared with them the fact he housed a demonic fox within him, but...

_"That will have to wait until later..."_ Naruto thought.

A sudden scream snapped him out of his thoughts. Naruto whipped his head towards the end of the forest, and noticed two figures by the edge of the cliffs facing towards the ocean. He recognized one of them as Mizore...but the other...

"Damn it," Naruto thought, pulling out a scroll from his pocket, "Whatever is going on, it can't be good!"

* * *

Okuto held the young Yuki-onna by her neck, taking his pleasant time to drain her of air, "It's too bad you had to go and become a pain like this, Shirayuki-san. I wouldn't have to get rid of you for good if you had just not blown all of this out of proportion!"

"_**Suiton: Suigadan**_!!"

Okuto looked to the side, "What the hell-?"

A column of water seemed to rise up from the ocean before slamming into the side of the Kraken. Okuto let out a cry of pain as he was sent flying into the watery depths below, Mizore falling with him. Just before the Yuki-onna was pulled down with the octopus monster, a flash of steel flew past, severing the tentacle wrapped around her neck. She gasped while sucking in air, and noticed she was somehow floating above the water. She blinked, then looked to find to muscular arms wrapped around her.

"Are you alright, Mizore-chan?"

Mizore blinked as she faced the person who had saved her, "A-Arashi-Ninja-san?"

Sure enough, the masked ninja of Youkai was the one who was currently holding her bridal style. He gave her a nod and looked into the water below, "So far I've yet to get a good impression from the aquatic monsters around here. First the mermaids, now a Kraken?"

Before Mizore could comment, several tentacles rose up from the ocean. Naruto instinctively jumped back and hopped onto the side of the cliff, holding onto it via chakra, "Hold on, Mizore-chan. I'm going to get you back up to there, alright?"

"How are-waaaaaah!!" Mizore yelped as the Arashi-Ninja ran up the cliff side, "How are you doing that??"

"Heheh, ninja secret. I'm afraid I can't share," replied Naruto, "So...is this guy the one known as Kotsubo Okuto?"

"Yes..." Mizore spoke, "...he and I had something for a very short period of-"

"It's okay, Mizore-chan. No need to explain yourself; I kind of knew about it already." the shinobi replied, "No one should have to have their feelings hurt by someone they thought cared about them. It's not right, no matter what the age difference."

Leaping up to the grassy top of the cliff, he set Mizore down and pulled out a handful of shuriken, "I doubt he's going to let me get away with that. Stay back so you don't get hurt."

"No." Mizore spoke, "I can help."

Naruto sighed, "Look, I really appreciate your concern, but this guy will be no-"

"Just watch." Mizore interrupted. Her long purple locks suddenly became bright blue, like ice, and her hands transformed into icicle-like claws. Naruto blinked and stared.

"Whoah..." He felt the air temperature dip to below freezing, frost forming at his feet. He stared into the icy blue orbs of Mizore, and felt his cheeks flush, "Beautiful..."

Mizore was indeed a sight to behold. She had a fierce look about her now, but at the same time, her icy look sent a not-so-bad chill down Naruto's spine.

The Yuki-onna must have heard him, because she blushed, "Um...thank you."

"Graaaaaaaaah!!!!"

The two turned around a wave of water hit the side of the cliff. Naruto was the first to run towards the edge, and looked to see Okuto clinging to the numerous projections of rocks and roots, making his way up.

"Who the hell do you think you are, bastard?!" Okuto yelled, staring straight at Naruto.

"The Arashi-Ninja. Perhaps you've heard of me?" Naruto answered, earning a growl from the Kraken, "No? Hm...dang, I was hoping my reputation would have preceded me by now..."

"You're that damn ninja that I've been hearing about?" Okuto replied, "I was wondering if I'd ever have to deal with you!"

Okuto suddenly pulled himself up with a mighty heave, landing on the ground where Naruto and Mizore stood. He lashed out with his numerous tentacles while Naruto flipped around, avoiding the numerous appendages with little effort.

"Because of you I'll have to wait about two weeks to fully grow back my tentacle, you brat!" Okuto growled, "You'll pay for that!!"

"Get over it! At least you're too big to be fried. I never tried fried octopus, but I'm partial to fried squid. Can't be that different, right?"

That little jab seemed to push Okuto over the edge. He roared as he sent forth his seven tentacles that had not been cut. Naruto made several clones and dispersed in several directions at once. While Naruto managed to distract the enraged gym teacher, Mizore concentrated on bringing forth her powers over ice.

The Arashi-Ninja jumped on top of Okuto's head, delivering a quick foot to the face before leaping off and throwing the shuriken he held in his hands. Okuto blocked with his tentacles, yelling in pain as the metal projectiles embedded into his skin.

"Now!" Mizore said, noticing the shinobi was out of the way for her to attack. She raised both her hands and blasted forth a wave of icy wind. Okuto never had a chance to recover, and was buffeted by the freezing wind. His skin that was covered with water froze in seconds. He struggled to keep moving as he fell to the ground.

Naruto landed by Mizore's side, "Wow! That's a neat power, Mizore-chan!" He laughed as she blushed a bit, "Are you like...an ice monster of some sort?"

"I'm a Yuki-onna..." Mizore replied quietly, avoiding the masked ninja's eyes while blushing, "I-I have control over ice and can freeze water both in liquid and vapor form."

Naruto let out a low whistle, "Remind me to never piss you off, heheh. I only fought one other person in my life with powers like that. They were pretty tough."

"Thank you, Ninja-san." Mizore spoke, giving a little bow, "You saved me though. I owe you my life." She gave another deeper bow, "I'm grateful."

Naruto scratched his head nervously, "H-hey, it's no big deal. At least you can fight back, right? You're group of friends seems to have the worst of luck when it comes to problems involving monsters, heheh."

"I guess." Mizore reverted back to her disguised state, which wasn't a huge change, Naruto noted, "Um...what are we going to do about Kotsubo-sensei?"

Naruto gave a wink, "I have help," He snapped his fingers, and his group of clones he had summoned walked up and picked up the frozen mass that was Okuto. A few of the clones griped about getting frostbite while Naruto just waved them on towards the school, "Leave a note explaining why he's like that, and someone place a stasis seal on him, otherwise he'll just thaw out!"

"Aye aye, boss." The clones replied in unison. Mizore giggled as they headed off towards the Academy. She turned back to see the Arashi-Ninja heading towards the woods in the distance.

"Um, Ninja-san?"

Naruto looked over his shoulder, and noted the way Mizore seemed to suddenly be focusing on the ground before her, "What's wrong, Mizore-chan?"

"Well...um...there's a friend of ours named Naruto..."

The blond remained calm upon hearing his name, "Go on."

"It's...it's just that he's been gone for several days, and we're all worried about him. I mean, we know he's busy, but, it's never been like him to go and just disappear..." She looked to the masked ninja, "If possible...do you think that if you by chance see, let him know that we're all worried about him? He's blond, has these unique whisker mark lines on his cheeks, which Kurumu thinks are really tattoos, but I don't agree with her, and really blue eyes."

"Blond hair, blue eyes, unique whisker marks..." Naruto suppressed a sigh, "I'll keep an eye open for him, Mizore-chan."

"Really?" Mizore smiled, "That really would help! Thank you!"

"Don't mention it," Naruto replied with a weak chuckle, "Well, I better get out of here." He turned back towards the woods and disappeared with a swirl of leaves.

Mizore stood there for a few moments, pondering over what had just transpired. The Arashi-Ninja had come to her rescue. Out here, near the cliffs facing the ocean. She was pretty sure the chances were very minimal that someone would have saw her before it was too late.

"Arashi-Ninja..." Mizore sighed a little. He was a mystery, yet she found herself intrigued by the enigma that he was. A ninja that acted like a comic book superhero.

She headed onward to the dorms. Looks like she had some gossip to share with Kurumu tonight. Just wait until she heard that the Arashi-Ninja had saved her and held her in his arms! Oh, she would be seething. Mizore chuckled as she continued home, already formulating the best way to deliver the news.

* * *

Today was finally the day that the Newspaper Club would release its first official copy of the newspaper to the students on campus. They were going like hotcakes as students passed by the front gates of the academy.

"Wow, the girls handing out the papers are all so cute!"

"Yeah...but that one girl looks like she's cosplaying a witch or something..."

Yukari frowned as she forced her hand wand to stay steady. Kurumu gave a chuckle and patted the young girl sympathetically on the back, "Don't worry, Yukari. You've just got that youthful charm."

"Wow, we've managed to hand out more than half of the papers already." Tsukune commented, "Looks like they're better than we thought!"

Mizore smirked, "Its' because we put our pictures on the front cover of the first one as a promotion for introducing the staff..."

Gin laughed, "What? It's working, isn't it?"

"Out of the way! Move it!"

Gin looked up to the sound of a commotion from the crowds of students, and bit down a curse, "Great...it's the black suits."

The crowds parted as the Newspaper Club got a good look of who exactly was causing the ruckus. A group of students in varying age groups appeared before them, their apparent leader being a long, blond haired man with a rather unnerving, calm smile on his face. He looked upon the group before speaking, "Greetings. I'm Kuyou, the manager of the Public Safety Commission, otherwise known as the Student Police Committee."

Moka looked to the man, "The Police Committee? So, you're the ones who are in charge of public safety? What can-?"

"Don't, Moka." Gin cut in, raising a hand. Moka looked to the club president, giving him a confused look. He merely shook his head, looking towards the one named Kuyou.

Kuyou picked up one of the papers, scanning it over once before tossing it onto the table and kicking over the box of papers.

"H-hey! What are you doing?!" Kurumu cried out. The group just watched as Kuyou looked up with a grim expression on his face.

"Do you realize what you're all doing by handing out papers that have _not_ gone through my inspection?! This is a direct act against the protocols set up by the Public Safety Commission! Anything that you do on campus grounds must be approved by us, first and foremost!"

Mizore shook her head, "We haven't done anything wrong though!"

Kuyou sent her a glare, "Oh really?" He pointed to the stack of papers on the ground, "That stack of papers is evidence telling me otherwise. Selfishly doing whatever you want without our approval is a direct disturbance to the safety and order of the academy!"

Tsukune decided to speak up, "How is that a danger to the students? It's just a newspaper!"

A few of the members of the Committee were now stomping on the papers that had been scattered on the ground while Kuyou spoke, "Listen well, Newspaper Club members. We will continue to crack down on any activities that go against our-"

"Oi, is this where the free newspapers are being handed out?"

All of the students looked back to the edge of the campus gates. Tsukune was the first to see who had spoken out, "...Naruto?"

There stood the blond, wearing his green academy uniform and grinning brightly, "Hey, Tsukune! I thought I heard right about the Newspaper Club making papers today, so I figured..." He stopped as he saw one of the Police Committee member's feet on a newspaper, "What are you doing with their papers?"

Kuyou decided to speak, "This group is disturbing the order and peace of the academy by distributing products that have not been inspected by us."

The whisker-marked blond raised an eyebrow, "Who the hell are you guys?"

A few of the student's in the crowd gasped at the tone Naruto was taking with Kuyou, "We're the Student Public Safety Commission; the Police Committee is another name we go by."

_"So these are the bastards, huh?"_ Naruto rolled his eyes, "How are they 'disturbing' the peace by offering free newspapers? The students around here can choose to read them or not. It's not like they're being forced to take one."

Gin recognized the blond as one of Haji's younger members in the Karate Club. He was about to speak when Kuyou replied to the blond, "These articles were unapproved by us! As such, they could contain slanderous and distasteful material that should not-"

"Whatever, you just need to lighten up and worry about the bigger problems around here!" Naruto spoke, walking around him and grinning at Yukari, "Yukari-chan, I'd like a paper please. I heard Kurumu-chan published our recipe on making perfect banana bread, and I figured I'd-"

_Wham!!_

Naruto felt a sharp pain in the small of his back. He rolled onto the ground a few times before getting up and dropping into a stance, glaring at Kuyou, "I sure hope that was a your knee having a muscle spasm, because I do _not _take kindly to being kicked from behind!"

"You apparently do not understand the authority we have here, Naruto Uzumaki." Kuyou spoke, "Yes, we know who you are. We have the names of all students on this campus. Now, I advise you put that paper down and continue about your business unless-"

"You just kicked me in the back and know you expect me to just let it _go_? Look, pal, I don't know where you're from, but back where I'm from, you'd usually end up getting a good beating for such an underhanded move like that!"

Moka spoke up, "Naruto-kun, just let it go. We can't give away these-"

"No way, Moka! These punks think that just because they have uniforms that they can boss everyone around?"

Kuyou gave Naruto an even look before turning on his heel, "Let's go." The others in the group looked to him before he continued, "We have more important matters at hand." He looked over his shoulder, "If I should find out that you are continuing to hand out anymore of these papers, there will be severe consequences."

Naruto spoke up, "You really like to abuse your power, don't you?"

Kuyou halted in his tracks, turning around to face Naruto fully, "What did you say?"

Naruto didn't blink, "You heard me. I've met plenty of jerks like you; you think that just because you're part of some elitist group that you can get away with crap like this? There's a limit to what you can do before you're crossing over into corrupt territory."

The air seemed to become heavy for a moment, a few of the students shuddering as Kuyou and Naruto stared each other down. Naruto didn't budge, immediately adjusting himself to the killer intent that Kuyou was throwing at him. Naruto just smirked a little, but for a brief moment, Kuyou felt a sudden chill run down his spine as he looked into the boy's eyes. For barely a moment, the sapphire orbs of the blond hand changed to a crimson red, but it was so fast he almost missed it, "That won't scare me, Kuyou."

Kuyou's eyes narrowed, "You better keep your nose clean, Uzumaki." He looked to the Newspaper Club before before he and the rest of the Police Committee left, "Heed my words, Newspaper Club."

As the Police Committee left, Yukari and Mizore were by Naruto's side, "Are you alright? He kicked you pretty hard!"

Naruto just waved it off, "Bah, he was a pushover. I've been hit through walls by my old schoolmate and laughed it off."

That just earned a perturbed look from the two girls.

Gin walked over to Naruto as well as the rest of the group, "Geesh, what were you thinking? Don't you know who you were dealing with there?"

Naruto snorted, "Yeah, I heard of them. They're just a group that's lost their dignity and are acting like an organized gang from what I understand."

Gin just gave the kid an incredulous, yet somewhat admirable, look. The kid was tough, no doubt about it. Maybe that's why Haji spoke so highly of him? Gin himself felt the strong killer intent coming from Kuyou; he was pretty sure almost all of the students did, being monsters and whatnot. For this young student to just brush off such killer intent without flinching was truly something, "Heh, you know what? I think I can see why my friend Haji talks about you all the time. You're something else, Uzumaki."

Naruto blinked, "Um...thanks."

The blond took a paper—even after Moka warned him not to for fear of being reprimanded a second time by the Police Committee—and headed off to school. He had another hour to kill before classes started anyway, so he may as well do some light reading, he reasoned.

As the rest of the students carried on with their activities, the Newspaper Club went about cleaning up their site, still a bit down about the ruined stack of papers. Well, most of them were cleaning anyway. Mizore seemed to be looking towards the direction Naruto had gone. Kurumu was the first to notice, "What's wrong, Mizore?"

"Huh?" Mizore blinked, then turned to the succubus, "Oh...nothing."

"What were you looking at?" Kurumu asked, a knowing smile on her face, "Or should I say, _who_ were you looking at?"

Mizore blushed while looking away from Kurumu, "What are you talking about?"

"I saw you watching Naruto-kun leave for school. You sure seemed to be interested in him..." She giggled playfully, "It's fine; I'd go for him too if I already didn't find Tsukune-kun so handsome."

Mizore just crossed her arms, "I-it's not like that. He's just good looking...I don't feel that strongly for him."

"Yet." Yukari added, jumping into the conversation. Moka was beside the witch, smiling a little as well. Tsukune seemed to be talking with Gin about something, so the two boys were not involved with the current conversation.

"I..." Mizore sighed, "I don't know, he's really nice, and sweet, and brave..."

"He has a nice ass, too." Kurumu added while Moka gave her a light smack on the shoulder, scolding her for not being more serious about the matter.

Yukari piped up, "So why don't you tell him you like him?"

"Well..." Mizore pulled out the sucker in her mouth for a moment, "I also like someone else."

"You do?" Moka asked, "Who is it?"

"You'll laugh." Mizore said, shaking her head.

"We won't; we promise." Moka said, while Yukari and Kurumu gave a nod.

The Yuki-onna closed her eyes, "I also like...the Arashi-Ninja."

The three girls all looked at each other before leaning in closer to Mizore, "Seriously?"

Mizore looked to Kurumu and nodded, "Y-yeah. I...I was saved by him just the other day. I told you, remember?"

"Well, yeah, you told us about Kotsubo-sensei. It's just...I guess it was unexpected." Kurumu replied, "I mean, you don't even know him."

"I know." Mizore groaned, slumping against a tree, "It's just...he's a nice guy too. I want to get to know him better as well!" The Yuki-onna rubbed her temples, "Am I being shallow?"

"No!" The three girls said in unison.

"You're just not making a move, that's all." Kurumu said, "I mean, you should try and maybe sent hints to Naruto that you're _interested_ in him! The Arashi-Ninja's cool, sure, but at least you _know_ Naruto!"

"She's right, Mizore!" Yukari agreed, "We'll help you!"

Mizore paled a little, "H-help?"

Moka nodded, "Yeah. We can like...try to get him to notice you more, or...maybe get you two alone?" The vampire girl noticed the look on Kurumu's face, "What's that grin for?"

Kurumu let out something between a giggle and cackle, "Oh, nothing...I've just always wanted to play cupid. Now is my chance to show my amazing matchmaking skills!"

Kurumu continued to laugh to herself while the other three shared uneasy looks. Surely a succubus couldn't be _bad_ when it came to relationships, right?

* * *

Kuyou sat in his office within the Public Safety Commission's headquarters, his hands folded as he watched the flickering of a flame from the candle in front of him. The scene of the blond haired first year from earlier today replayed in his mind over and over.

There was just something about that boy that was off. He usually got the desired effect from letting out a wave of bloodlust; students cowering and rebellious people shutting up. That Naruto though...

"He's not like the others..." Kuyou said aloud, "He'll have to be monitored more closely..." He got up and put out the candle with his fingers. Walking out of the room, the image of those red eyes stuck in his mind.

_"Eyes of blood red color..."_ Kuyou thought, _"What is he? What powers does he possess?"_

Kuyou wasn't sure at the moment, but he never was kept in the dark for too long when it came to secrets that were a danger to Youkai Academy. It was his duty to maintain the peace, after all. He walked into a room with a computer, and logged on. Accessing one of the 'Monster Database' programs, he searched up a basic profile search on 'monsters with red eyes'. The search brought up about twenty or so types of common monsters with red eyes. He frowned, knowing that he couldn't narrow it down with just those results. He racked his brain, trying to remember the faintest details.

Slitted irises.

He quickly entered in additional information on eyes,changing the irises to 'slitted', then entered it into the search. The computer program took a few moments before the results appeared on the screen.

Kuyou looked at the screen before his eyes widened a bit, his hands tightening as he gripped the table. The results had narrowed down to four. He looked over the monsters listed, and grit his teeth.

This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all.

**End of Chapter Five- Yeah, ending it here. Kind of mean, I suppose, but it just seemed like a good spot, heh. So yeah, Naruto's brash behavior has once again drawn the attention of unwanted people, or in this case, monsters. What will our blond haired hero do? Kick lots of ass? Hopefully. Well, we'll find out in the next exciting installment of Rosario+Jinchuuriki!**


	6. Getting to Know You

**Disclaimer: Rosario+Vampire is owned by Akihisa Ikedha and Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto. For the sake of overloading an anime with fanservice, let us hope that the two never decide to work together and combine the two into a real series.**

**Rosario+Jinchuuriki  
Chapter Six: Getting to Know You**

Sakura could hear a dull sound from somewhere outside of her unconscious mind. She didn't know what it was, but it was becoming louder and more clear as she found herself focusing on it.

Opening her eyes and looking around, Sakura awoke to an image that sent jolts of elation and worry through her bod at the same time.

Naruto was sitting by her bedside, his breathing coming out in ragged breaths as he had his hands covering his face.

That explained the noise that awoke her, at least. She tried to move, but found herself weighed down by weakness and the bandages wrapped around her. She instead settled for smiling a little and whispering, "Naruto..."

The blond stopped his crying for a moment, and looked up. Streaks of shed tears lined his face, eyes red from prolonged crying. He blinked several times before looking away, "Sakura-chan...you're alright."

"For the most part, yes." Sakura replied, laughing weakly, "I'm glad you're okay, too. I was worried that Akatsuki would find someway to this world and capture-"

"I'm sorry."

The rosette stopped talking upon hearing the random apology from Naruto. His head was bowed low, and his hands were resting on his thighs. He didn't look up, nor did he say anything further. Sakura frowned, "Sorry?"

Naruto simply nodded.

The kunoichi immediately knew what he was talking about, "Naruto, don't apologize for what happened. You had no way of knowing what occurred in-"

"There's no excuse!" Naruto spoke firmly, his voice harsh, though it sounded more like he was yelling at himself than her, "I was the one Akatsuki was after, and then I go and abandon the village and leave it to fend for itself."

"That's not true! You never abandoned Konoha, Naruto. Tsunade-sama ordered you to come to this...world, wherever it is...and stay safe!" She could see that Naruto was hardly listening, "Naruto, look at me."

The blond looked up slowly, his eyes barely meeting hers.

"If you go and continue to beat yourself up over what happened, paralyzed from the waist down or not, I'll beat the living daylights out of you!" She attempted get herself up to a sitting position, slapping Naruto's hands away when he offered to help. He waited a good minute for her to try and get adjusted, using only one arm and being unable to move her legs at all.

"Sakura-chan, just let me-"

"I can do this _myself_!" Sakura argued, her eyes watering a bit, "I'm not helpless...I...I can still..." Her legs were getting tangled in the sheets, and she began cursing before sniffling, "Damn it..."

Naruto lifted the girl into a comfortable sitting position after she caved in and let him help, thanking him quietly when she was finally situated.

"Sorry about that." Sakura apologized, "I'm still kind of...caught up in the fact I can't use my legs anymore."

"Kakashi-sensei told me about...your condition." Naruto looked down, "I'm sorry to hear-"

"Don't be. It was my fault for not being careful." Sakura cut in, "I just need to adjust to having zero mobility in my legs right now. Though..." Sakura was quiet for a moment, "I guess the nurses managed to get an X-ray done on me. They say there's a slight chance that they can help my spinal cord damage. I...I may have limited mobility regained later on, though the chances are that even if I do, I'll never be able to do more than walk with crutches."

"That's great!" Naruto exclaimed, relieved to hear some good news for once, "So there's a chance you can move on your own again!"

Sakura smiled a bit before looking down at her legs, "Maybe...though...I don't know if I'll have much feeling. Pressure may be all I can feel if they're fixed." She clenched her bedsheets tightly, "I know it's a bit selfish to say this, but..." She sighed, "It had to be from the waist down? Why not just the knees, or maybe..."

Naruto put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Sakura-chan..."

Sakura looked up to the blond haired boy, "...well...I doubt I'll ever be able to capture the interest of any guys now..."

Naruto frowned, "What do you mean?"

Sakura waved a hand at her legs, "It's not like I can..._feel_ anything if I wanted to do..._things_ with...well, you know."

"Things?" Naruto asked.

Sakura gave him a look before speaking barely above a whisper, "Naruto...I..." She shook her head, "I could explain it to you in medical terms, but you'd never get what I'm talking about. Just don't worry about it."

Naruto just squinted a bit in confusion while Sakura just shook her head, "If you say so, Sakura-chan. I'm a guy, and I still like you! That'll never change!"

The rosette blinked a bit before blushing prettily, with a hint of embarrassment, "Thanks, Naruto."

"Anytime!" Naruto grinned, his innocence as evident as ever.

Sakura reached out for Naruto's hand and held it firmly, "Anyway, back to what I was originally saying..." Sakura let out a breath, "You better stop blaming yourself. Kakashi-sensei visited me and Sai a few days ago and told me that you pulled a disappearing act on him. I can understand why, but...if you were hurting, Naruto, then you should have talked to someone. I was here."

"You were out like a light from what Kakashi-sensei told me."

Sakura was quiet for a moment, "W-well...yeah, but you could still have talked to me. I wasn't _comatose_."

Naruto smiled a little, "Heh, well, I guess I like to have someone that talks back to me."

"Then let's talk now." Sakura spoke, her hand still holding his, "We can talk about anything you want."

"...anything?"

Sakura rolled her eyes, "I guess anything can encompass _absolutely_ anything. If you want to talk pervertedly though, Naruto, know that I'll just talk about it in technical terms. I know you hate it when I start talking about sex from a medical perspective."

Naruto just chuckled, "Right, right..." He looked up for a moment while thinking, "Well, I joined a club already."

Sakura smiled, "The Karate Club, right?"

Naruto nodded, though he was giving her a confused look, "Y-yeah. How did you know?"

"Kakashi-sensei said he found out from some friends of yours when he was looking for you. He said they were both girls, too." She grinned as Naruto seemed to have a look of understanding dawn his features, "Kakashi-sensei also said that the two girls really respect and admire you, from what it sounded like."

"R-really?" the blond asked suddenly, "I-I mean, really? Wow."

The kunoichi giggled a bit, "Yeah. Apparently you've gained a reputation from what Kakashi-sensei told me. He said that you're an amazing student in gym class, huh?"

"I guess...oh! Did you know they play soccer here, too? It's awesome, Sakura-chan, it's kind of scary how we have the some of the same sports as they do!"

Sakura listened happily as Naruto started to ramble on about everything he'd done so far in school, including the Arashi-Ninja situation—which Sakura found herself finding to be quite interesting—and by the time they were done talking, it was going onto six in the evening.

"Oh...Naruto. Good to see you."

Naruto looked up from his seat by Sakura's bed, and was greeted with the sight of Sai, a thick cast over what was left of his right arm, and a few bandages wrapped around his leg and head.

The blond gave a nod to the former Root member, "Hey, Sai. Good to see you."

Sai nodded, then turned to Sakura, "Did you know they have this thing called 'Internet' here? It's really amazing; I can watch movies on it, read books, play video games..." He shook his head, "Apparently it covers the entire world. I can learn about stuff in seconds that occurred somewhere else in the world."

Sakura blinked and looked to Naruto, "Is that true?"

Naruto shook his head while laughing, "Yeah, I still don't totally understand how it works. The computers here also have colored screens."

"You mean they show more than just black screens with green lettering?"

"Yeah."

Sakura gave a quiet 'wow' while leaning her head back, "Kakashi-sensei was right; this world is way ahead of us..."

The blond gave Sai a quick explanation of what he experienced in Youkai so far and looked at the clock on the wall to see it was now close to seven, "Ah...I got to get back to my dorm room. I have some homework to do. There's an exam for my math class coming up, and I'm not really sure I have it all down yet."

Sakura nodded, "Alright. Just be sure to visit before we leave."

"Leave?" Naruto asked, "Where are you all going? Back to the Elemental Nations?"

Sakura shook her head, "No, somewhere in a country called Japan. It's apparently in a parallel world to this one where humans live. It's practically the same as here."

"Excluding monsters making up the majority of the world's population." Sai added.

Naruto gave a nod, "Okay...well, at least we can keep in touch, right?" He grinned, "I'm glad that you're both okay. Kakashi-sensei said you were all really hurt, so..." He shook his head, "Anyway, I'll stop by again when I have time, okay?"

"That's fine, Naruto. Just make sure that you're schoolwork comes first." Sakura replied.

The blond rolled his eyes, "Yes, mother." That earned a pout from Sakura and a light chuckle from Sai, who was now lying in his bed on the other side of the room. Naruto gave the two a final wave goodbye before leaving the room.

"He seemed...relieved." Sai commented as he looked to the door, "Do you think so?"

The kunoichi gave a small shrug while smiling a little, "I suppose he did. He's hard to read sometimes, Sai. I've found that while he's good at _voicing_ his opinion, he doesn't _always_ show how he really feels to those around him."

Sai frowned, "I read in a book that people sometimes hide how they truly feel to sometimes protect their feelings from being hurt, or to keep the their friends from worrying." He looked to the window, "Do you think Naruto's afraid of making us worried?"

"Again...even after knowing him for the time that I have, he's hard to read. Though, I do believe you were right when you said he seemed relieved."

Sai gave a nod, as though reassuring himself upon hearing Sakura's answer. He took out a small book he had lying on the side table that was titled, 'Monster and Human: A History'. He had stumbled upon it in the lobby of the hospital, and asked if he could borrow it. He had found it interesting after reading the first few pages. The history between the humans of the other world and these monsters was a long and complicated one.

Some humans got along well with certain monsters while others were less peaceful. Some cases went as far as missions to wipe out the other, like the witch hunts or the mobs that would storm through woods, hunting down werewolves. Another example was the Middle Ages where slaying dragons was a commonplace amongst knights of the human world.

Other monsters integrated into human society fairly well; again the witches managed to fall into that category. The Succubi were another group, as well as their male counterparts, the Incubi. In fact, their species practically depended on humans for survival.

"Naruto sure has ended up in a strange world..." Sai commented, reading a chapter on the strange cases of humans becoming monsters, "Did you know that a person can become a monster if enough of certain monsters' blood is injected into them?"

Sakura made a gagging motion, "Yuck. Seriously, who would go and inject their blood into another, especially a monster into a human, for no reason?"

Sai nodded, "That's what I thought; apparently some monsters have healing properties in their blood. A prime example they've mentioned several times is the vampire."

Sakura paled, "V-vampire? They _exist_?"

Sai nodded, "Yes, but apparently vampires aren't like we perceive them. They're living beings who just feed on blood for nourishment. They can eat and drink like we can, and appear to be almost like that of humans. Scholars believe that vampires gained human appearances through evolution; vampires that appeared human-like were more capable of adjusting to human life and were able to settle down and have an immediate access to food. It's also the reason why so many vampires seek a relationship with humans; so they can have a single, trustworthy source of blood."

"Wait, you make it sound like there are humans who willingly give blood to vampires."

"That's exactly what it says. Vampires are fairly proud beings; they don't like to take what they don't believe rightfully belongs to them. However, if a human willingly allows them to feed on their blood, then it's fine." the black haired boy answered, "I think I may need to ask to buy a copy of this book..."

Sakura found herself suddenly more wary of her surroundings. Vampires? Monsters in general was a bit of a shock to her; Kakashi had to explain to her that most of the monsters on this campus were in this school to better _understand_ and become _accepting_ of humans. If anything, she should feel safe here.

"Um...Sai?"

The boy looked up from his book, "Yes, Sakura?"

"C-can we leave the night light on tonight?"

Sai gave her a quizzical look, "Why?"

"Just...because." Sakura replied. Sai shrugged his shoulders, unsure of her reasoning, but not questioning it. Besides, he didn't want to test the girl's temper, even if both her legs were paralyzed.

She still had powerful fists.

* * *

"Hey, look at this," Yukari exclaimed, pointing at a page in a rather dusty book she had rented from the library, "It says here that some shinobi are capable of summoning creatures to help them complete various tasks." She went over the contents, "Some examples include dogs, birds of prey, predatory cats, and even frogs."

"How do they go about doing that?" Kurumu asked, looking up from her spot on Moka's bed. The girls had decided to hang out at the vampire girl's room, seeing as it was the weekend and they had nothing to do.

"Well, it says that shinobi made contracts in blood with their respective summons. Some of these creatures made individual contracts while others were contracts that applied to entire clans of creatures." She giggled, "I wonder if the Arashi-Ninja can summon any animals. Maybe he'd call a snow leopard for Mizore to play-ow!"

Mizore retracted her pillow from the young witch's head, "Not funny."

The Yuki-onna had decided to let the girls know of her power, seeing as Moka had accidentally let it slip while they were talking. Mizore blew it off and simply let the other girls in on her not-so-secret true identity.

"What kind of monster do you think Tsukune is?" Yukari asked, putting a bookmark in between the pages of her book before closing it.

Kurumu and Moka shared a quick look with each other before Moka spoke, "I'm not really sure, to be honest, heheh. He's really good at hiding his identity, isn't he?"

Kurumu chimed in, "Yeah, that and he's so good at keeping his disguise, too."

Mizore nodded, "The same goes for Naruto."

Kurumu grinned, "Ah, we once again find our favorite blond to be the topic of discussion, don't we, Mizore-chan?" She giggled a bit as Mizore chewed a bit on her lollipop stick.

"You're just jealous." Mizore replied, to which the succubus blinked before sending the Yuki-onna a weak glare before sticking her tongue out.

"Well..." Moka tapped her chin, "I honestly don't know. I mean...he's got those whisker markings on his face. Maybe he's a feline monster?"

"Maybe they're tattoos?" Kurumu suggested.

"They're real." Mizore replied.

"I think they're tattoos." Kurumu spoke, looking to the Yuki-onna.

"They aren't."

"...are too."

"Are not."

"Are too."

"Are-"

Yukari groaned, "Stop it, already! You two have argued about this five times already!"

Mizore shrugged, "I don't think Naruto-kun would have tattoos of whiskers on his cheeks. It doesn't seem like him at all."

"Care to explain what they are, then?" Kurumu asked.

"Birthmarks." Mizore replied with certainty.

"Birthmarks? Who has birthmarks like that?" Kurumu asked, "Though, I have to admit, if they are by some odd chance birthmarks, then they're really cute on him. You know how to choose them, Mizore."

Yukari and Kurumu giggled while Moka chided them weakly, telling them it wasn't nice to tease Mizore about her feelings for Naruto.

"So, when are you going to ask him out?" Yukari asked, "Maybe he'll take you for a romantic stroll to the park nearby!"

"Yeah, and then you can pull out the rope and handcuffs and find a sturdy tree to bind him too." Kurumu laughed while ducking as an icicle kunai went flying over her head, "Sorry, sorry..." She wiped a tear from her eye, "Honestly though, Mizore, when are you going to tell him?"

The Yuki-onna sighed, "I don't know. I honestly don't think he'd want to be with a girl like me. At least...not in a romantic way."

Moka frowned, "Why do you say that?"

"I'm too quiet and boring for him." Mizore answered.

"You're not boring!" Yukari exclaimed, "Besides, who's to say he doesn't like quiet girls? Huh?"

Kurumu nodded, "I think that deep down he's a really sensitive guy that wants to have a tender relationship with someone."

"You sure about that?" Moka asked, "I think he's a bit hyper at times."

Kurumu tapped the side of her temple while giving a proud look, "We succubi are good at picking out the nice guys."

"I thought you just try to make them all your slaves?" Yukari joked, earning a headlock from the succubus.

* * *

The girls chatted about the two boys a bit longer before Mizore excused herself, saying she had to do some work for the paper—which she was told by Gin to do a new article for, seeing as the Public Safety Commission had been rather upset about the papers—and decided to do her entry on the mystery that was the Arashi-Ninja.

So maybe she had a mild obsession with the masked warrior. She at least was hiding it a little by applying it to a legitimate cause.

The first order of business; finding out where the shinobi was during this time of the day. From what she heard from students, he could blend into the shadows with relative ease. He patrolled the campus at night time, and there was no safe place to do misdeeds without him finding out.

At least that's what some of the students that she had interviewed had stated.

"He sounds more like an omnipotent being than a ninja..." Mizore thought as she trekked down the walkway leading to an area with benches.

Mizore hid behind a bush, watching the area for any sign of the enigmatic shinobi. For almost a half hour she waited. Then a half hour became one hour...

"Maybe I'm in the wrong part of campus?" Mizore thought as she fiddled with the camera Gin had lent to her.

Then she saw it. If not for her keen sense of sight, she would have missed it. A blur flew over a few branches, casting a brief silhouette against the moon while it ran past. Mizore sunk low to the grass and readied her camera.

The figure landed on a branch no more than twenty yards from her. She looked through the lens of the camera, and felt her heartbeat quicken. It was him!

The Arashi-Ninja stood on the branch, surveying the area without making a sound. She couldn't help but find herself blushing as he moved with such serene grace.

_"I wonder if he already knows I'm here..."_ She thought. She prided herself on being rather good at sneaking about; she was always told by the fellow Yuki-onna back home that she inherited that from her mother.

She adjusted the lens, preparing to take a picture of the Arashi-Ninja as he was adjusting his weapons pouch when...

"Evening, Mizore-chan."

The Yuki-onna let out a shriek as she jumped back suddenly, ice knife in hand and prepared to throw it. She paused as she looked to see...the Arashi-Ninja?

"H-how are you-?"

The ninja chuckled before letting out a whistle that sounded like one of the birds she heard on campus. The shinobi standing on the branch looked towards them, then gave a nod before dispersing in a puff of smoke. The shinobi that had sneaked up behind her laughed, "I'm not a shinobi for nothing, Mizore-chan. I could feel a presence in the area when I stopped here for a moment. My clone was more exposed so I could figure out who's here while it drew away attention."

Mizore blinked before raising her camera, "Cheese."

Naruto was blinded by a flash of light, "Gah!" He rubbed his eyes and sighed, "You could have warned me!"

"I did." the Yuki-onna replied with a small smile, "You're a shinobi, though. You should have been ready."

"...okay, you win." Naruto grunted, offering the girl a hand and pulling her up so that they were both standing, "What's with the camera?"

Mizore raised the camera in front of her, "Gin-senpai was hoping to get photos of you for the new issue we'll be putting out...that is, if it's 'approved' by the Public Safety Commission."

Naruto sighed, "I heard about those jerks. I mean, I'm no expert in student rights and all that, but isn't it kind of overstepping boundaries when someone just says that you can't publish a paper on suspicion of 'disturbing the peace'?"

"I guess..." She shrugged, "It's beyond our say, though. We can't do anything about it, even if they're a bunch of jerks." She held the camera up, "Can you take off your shirt? I want some good pictures."

The young shinobi blushed a bit, "W-what? That's a bit much, don't you think?"

Mizore shook her head, "No. Nudity is a bit much."

"Y-you're going too far, now!" Naruto took a step back, "What's with Gin asking for pictures of me, anyway?"

"Oh," Mizore pulled the sucker from her mouth, "I think he wants to show the school that you're helping keep this place safe."

Naruto was a bit surprised by her reply, "Really? He thinks that I'm helping?"

Mizore smiled, "Most likely. If you ask me, _I_ think you're helping."

Naruto felt his shoulders loosen up a bit upon hearing that, "Well...I'm happy to hear that." He chuckled, "I guess I was never the kind of guy to let people just get away with the kind of crap that I see happen here. Someone's got to do something about it."

"Aren't you worried about getting into trouble with the Police Committee and the Academy?" Mizore inquired, listening intently now as she made room for memorizing the conversation in her mind.

Naruto shook his head, "It wouldn't be the first time I was unpopular with groups that have authority. I've learned to deal with such issues."

"Wait, so you've done stuff like this before?"

The blond laughed, "_Hardly_. I used to be a hellion before I got my act together." He scratched his bandanna covered head, "Heh, then again, I guess pulling pranks helped teach me how to hide from the people I did them to."

Mizore decided to not pry any further; the ninja seemed reluctant to share too much information on his personal life as it was, "So, can I take your picture?"

"You just blinded me with the camera a moment ago, didn't you?" Naruto asked, "What exactly are you looking for?"

"Showing off your chest would be nice." Mizore stated casually, "That, or maybe you could flex your biceps?"

"...you sure you're not doing this for yourself?" Naruto joked. Mizore just smiled while holding the camera up.

"How about this; make it look like you're just jumping around. Like I'm actually hidden from your view. It'll look better, and that way no one will go and bombard me with questions about how come you decided to let me get photos of you."

"Hmmm..." Naruto pondered over it for a moment, "Alright, but not too many."

Mizore nodded, "Deal."

* * *

Mizore hummed to herself as she looked over the pictures she had taken. The camera developed them as she took them, so she didn't have to bring them to the photography club to get them done.

The Arashi-Ninja, she realized, was a rather down to Earth guy once you got past his weird battle cries, corny attack names, and his tendency to be cautious at all times. She'd bring the pictures she had taken to club tomorrow and Gin would have them placed in the next issue.

Well, she decided to keep one for herself. It was just a picture of the ninja hanging from a tree limb with one hand holding a kunai while the other grasped the bark.

"I wonder if he's a student here..." Mizore thought aloud. It wasn't too crazy of an idea. He appeared to be around her age, possibly a bit younger. She had no proof, but he was definitely young looking.

Letting out a small sigh, she set the picture on her desk before plopping onto her futon mattress. She needed to get some sleep; tomorrow was their exam for Human History.

* * *

Naruto groaned as he walked out of history class, relieved that he could finally escape the evil that was homeroom. If not for Nekonome's bright and cheery personality, he probably would have lost it by now.

Mizore smiled as he exited the class. She had finished only two minutes before him, and decided to wait for him to finish, "How did you do?"

"I'll be happy with a passing grade." Naruto commented, reminding himself not to gripe about sucking at the history of his own species, "I think Tsukune was right about the Sphinx being in that one country...Egypt?"

Mizore suppressed the urge to laugh, "Naruto-kun, the Sphinx is a well-known wonder of the ancient world. How could you not know that?"

The blond waved a hand, "Bah, it's not important to me anyway."

"Naruto, that's not a good attitude to have for class, you know. Education is important, including history."

The blond, as well as Mizore, looked to see Tsukune and Moka walking towards them. Moka had been one of the first students to finish, and Tsukune had finished only ten minutes after her. Tsukune was rubbing his neck a little, and Naruto noted the faint bite marks, a telltale sign that Moka had gotten a quick snack in for midday.

"So, is it true that gym's been canceled for a week until they can find a new teacher?" Tsukune asked. Normally Naruto would be going there with Mizore today, but with Okuto now in custody for obvious reasons, there was no one to teach, and apparently substitute teachers for gym were hard to find at the moment.

"Yeah..." Naruto sighed, "It kind of sucks that we have nothing to do. I was hoping to play some soccer today."

Moka beamed, "Well, it's still really nice out today. You can still do something outside."

Tsukune gave a grin, "That's true."

The four headed outside, and sat on some benches near the lunch area where students often ate. Tsukune and Mizore were currently discussing on their idea of a joint article for the new paper, seeing as the first one was apparently 'bad' and disturbing the peace.

"Hey, Moka..." Naruto began in a hushed tone, "So, have you decided when you want to spar?"

The vampire cocked her head to the side, "Hm? Spar?"

Naruto blinked before sighing, "Don't you remember?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Naruto-kun." Moka replied, "When did I ever say anything about sparring?"

"..." Naruto was quiet for a moment, "You spoke to the _Arashi-Ninja_ about it, didn't you?"

Moka's eyes widened, "I did? When? Who told you?"

"Er...y-yeah, Yukari told me about it." Naruto lied, "I-I remember her saying after you beat up Gin that you wanted to...um..."

"Oh!" Moka exclaimed, "Well, in all honesty, I don't really remember much when my inner self is awakened. She takes over, and I slip into a dream-like state, almost, though I can recall bits and pieces, though nothing specific."

"Really?" Naruto asked, "I didn't know that."

Moka wrapped her fingers around the rosary around her neck, "Well, the memories were clearer when we were fighting Gin than the first time Tsukune removed my rosary against Saizou. Only a little though."

Naruto gave a grunt of understanding, "Hm. Maybe Yukari was just exaggerating things again. She must have been amazed by your sealed self's power, and thought it'd be a cool idea, heheh. She's still only eleven years old, after all."

Moka giggled, "True."

The four began to talk about classes, Naruto griping over math while Moka chastised him for not studying enough. Then the topic that Naruto hoped to avoid was brought up.

"So, Naruto...what are your thoughts on the Arashi-Ninja?"

Naruto looked to Tsukune, "Hm? That ninja guy? I don't really know. He seems alright, but...I've never seen him."

"Maybe if you were around us more you'd see him." Mizore stated with a smile, "He's actually not that bad. Take a look." She set a few of the photos she had taken of the ninja on the table, "He even posed for me."

Tsukune raised an eyebrow, "Wow. These are...awesome, Mizore. We can definitely use these for that article of yours!"

Naruto looked at one of the photos and couldn't help but smirk to himself, "Wow...these are awesome pictures, Mizore-chan. You said he posed for you too?"

Mizore blushed, "Yeah. He's actually a very nice guy. He doesn't act all proud and he's super strong. He just wants this place to be safe for everyone."

Moka grinned, "Yeah. Sounds like a knight in shining armor, huh?"

The Yuki-onna blushed more, "I-I never said that."

The two girls laughed while Tsukune just turned to Naruto and rolled his eyes, "Yeah, but he's a cool guy, Naruto. I think he might be a student here, even."

"R-really? You don't say?" Naruto laughed nervously, "Why do you say that?"

"Well, he's about the same height as you and me, and he looks like he's about the same age as us."

"He's got a sexy body, too." Mizore added, though she seemed to be talking more to herself, "I wonder if he's dating anyone..."

"I don't know. He's probably doing like they do in comics and living a double life, you know?" Moka added, "It's always that way with those types..."

"Hahaha, you think so?" Naruto scratched his head, "I think that's a bit far fetched, don't you? Why would a student be doing vigilante stuff? That's kind of risky, isn't it?"

"Precisely; that's why he's sexy." Mizore stated while putting the pictures away, "Well, I better get going. Our hour's almost over, and I can't be late for club." She got up and said goodbye to the others, but turned to Naruto as he too got up, "Naruto-kun?

"Hm?"

The Yuki-onna looked to the ground for a moment before looking up, her face still flushed red, "Would you...be willing to have an interview with me on the Karate Club?"

"Me?" the blond gave her a perplexed look, "I...guess, but, I think Haji-senpai would be a better choice. He's the president, after-"

"I-I'd really like it if you were the one I interviewed. I know you better, and I'd feel more comfortable with you as my interviewee."

"Really? I mean, I guess I could, but I don't know if I can answer all the questions you ask, and I'm sure that Haji-senpai could."

Moka decided to help her friend, catching on to the ulterior motive behind Mizore's supposed 'interview', "Naruto, that's just fine. It's good to have younger students be interviewed sometimes; it means that the newspaper is aimed towards all students, not just club presidents and upperclassmen."

Tsukune nodded, though he wasn't aware of Mizore's feelings for Naruto, "Yeah, Naruto. I think it'd be cool to have you in our newspaper! I'm interested in the Karate Club too."

Mizore blinked, "Well, um...I was kind of..."

Moka seemed to understand, "Tsukune-kun, let's go. We need to get to work on the second drafts of our articles." She grabbed him by the hand and gently pulled him away. The vampire girl gave Mizore a wink before heading off towards the school.

"Huh...she sure seemed to be in a hurry."

Mizore just smiled, "Yeah. So, do you want to have that interview later on?"

"Sure! I've got nothing going on after Karate today." Naruto grinned, "How about eight tonight?"

Mizore nodded, "That sounds great. Where would you prefer to meet? My place or yours?"

Naruto scratched his head, and chuckled, "Your choice."

The Yuki-onna thought it over for a moment, "H-how about your place? I'll save you the trouble of having to rush over to my dorm room after club. I'm sure you'll want to get cleaned up and all that."

"Okay, sounds like a plan."

As Mizore followed after Moka and Tsukune, Naruto suddenly realized something...

"...crap, Mizore's going to visit my place." He blinked, "Does that mean I have to clean it up?" He let out a groan, and headed off to Karate Club.

* * *

"As you can see by looking at Uzumaki's file, there is virtually nothing on his true identity. He is to be considered a threat to the peace and stability of the school."

"What about the Headmaster? Has he given you access to his information?" asked a girl with long, dark lavender hair.

Kuyou frowned, "It appears that the Headmaster is still unwilling to allow me the restricted files on Uzumaki, Keito. Such denial of that information perturbs me even more than the lack of information we have on his record." The leader of the Police Committee answered, "We have no way of finding out what his weaknesses may be, let alone where he's from.

The file that Kuyou was referring to lay in front of each of the Police Committee members in attendance. It had a picture of Naruto in his school uniform, along with his name, age, weight, and height. Nothing else. The other fields of information were simply given 'N/A' and nothing more.

"So, is this because the Headmaster doesn't see Naruto as a concern, or what?"

Kuyou shook his head, unsure of the Chairman's actions as well, "The Headmaster showed no signs of alarm when I brought up the issue of Uzumaki with him. He simply stated that we should continue to go about our business, and if Uzumaki does anything that is seen as openly against school policy that he will take care of it."

Keito growled a bit, "It's like he's protecting that first year bastard."

Kuyou didn't show it, but Naruto's apparent lack of identity disturbed him. For all sakes and purposes, he was placing Naruto under all four of the categories that he was given from his inquiry on the monster categorical search program; vampire, ghoul, doppelganger, and kitsune. He had hesitated on considering doppelganger, since that race of monsters had a wide range of appearances at their disposal, and Uzumaki had shrugged off his killer intent without much effort.

That last category, however, was what bothered him the most. If Naruto was a kitsune, then _surely_ Naruto had about the same amount of power as him or possibly less. Still, there was the fact that when he released some of his killer intent, the blond haired boy simply brushed it off.

"_If he's a kitsune, then he could prove to be a major threat to me, depending on his powers. Though, vampires can be just as bad." _Kuyou thought, _"Perhaps I should get someone to monitor him...though, if he's that attuned to powerful youki like mine..."_

"Keep an eye out for him. The same goes for the Newspaper Club. They were a problem last year, and it looks like Ginei has decided to continue the tradition with the new members. That is all." Kuyou finished. The Police Committee members all left the room, taking their copies of Naruto's school identification paper with them.

Kuyou was soon alone in the room. He picked up the copy of the paper, and studied Naruto's face. The boy had rather vibrant blue eyes, but he swore he saw them turn a deep red for a brief moment during their short encounter.

"Not only that, but he has those odd markings on his face..." Kuyou murmured, as he tucked the paper away in a folder, "All the more reason to keep an eye on him."

* * *

Naruto stood in front of the sandbag hanging from the ceiling, and took in a few deep breaths before getting into the stance Haji had shown him. He opened his eyes, and quickly dealt a palm strike while exhaling, then grabbed the bag and kneed it twice before kicking it, causing the massive object to swing on its chain. Naruto waited for it to come back towards him before getting in his stance and delivering a front thrust kick. The chains creaked as the bag swung back and forth several times.

Looking to the clock on the wall, Naruto exhaled a deep breath, "Looks like I got about two hours to spare before Mizore-chan stops by my place..." He turned back to the bag, and began a quick volley of elbow and knee strikes, finishing with a spinning back kick.

_Rip!!!_

"Aw, shit!" Naruto cursed as sand poured out of the bag and onto the mat. Naruto had managed to beat the sand bag to the point of ripping the fibers that held it together. He watched in mild dismay—and pride—as the sand piled underneath the now useless bag.

_Clap, clap, clap, clap..._

"Well done, Naruto! That was an almost flawless execution of the spinning back kick, and I don't recall ever teaching that to the first year members."

Naruto looked up to see Haji standing at the dojo entrance, a wide grin on his face, "Eheh...um, thanks, Haji-taichou, but I think I'll need to clean-"

"Don't sweat it, Naruto. You get home; we finished an hour ago anyway. I'm the one in charge of locking up, so I'll clean that sand up and we can use it to refill our next bag." the Karate Club captain walked up to Naruto and took a good look at the damage dealt to the sandbag. He let out a low whistle as he examined the fibers, "Whoa, that's a clean hole in the bag. Haven't seen something this bad almost two years, heheh."

"Sorry about that. I'm guessing this will come out of the club's budget, huh?"

"Not a problem; we have left over bags from last years purchases in storage. Besides, breaking a sandbag is something that should be celebrated for first years." He laughed as Naruto just gave him a perplexed look, "Okay, so it's not bricks or tiling, but we've put down every member's name that has ever destroyed any of our equipment while training, heh."

"Seriously?" Naruto asked with a chuckle, "That's kind of cool, actually."

Haji gave Naruto a hearty slap on the back, "Right! Now, get a move on. You're going to make the rest of us look bad if you keep staying after club's done."

Naruto took his duffel bag and headed back to the boys' dorm. After a quick shower and cleaning his room, he sat down and plugged away at the reading assignment on 'Middle Ages- Dark Times for Humanity and Youkai'. He had to admit, he was kind of glad that his world never had to deal with the plague that infested the world during these times.

Then again, his world had to deal with ninja wars, madmen who craved power, and evil organizations bent on conquering the world.

A knocking at the door caused him to jump a bit. He had been so caught up in his reading he never noted the time. He got up,turning towards the door, only to see ANBU uniform lying haphazardly on a chair by his table.

"Crap!" He picked it up and nearly stumbled as he opened his closet door and threw it in before shutting it. Then he got up and opened the door leading to the hall, "Hiya, Mizore-chan!"

Mizore was standing in front of Naruto's door, smiling a little as she was greeted by the blond, "Hello, Naruto-kun. Can I come in?"

Naruto ushered the girl in and the two sat at his table, "Want anything to drink?"

"Ice water would be fine."

"Hm? You sure? I got fruit juice, I can warm up some tea or-"

"Ice water."

Naruto laughed, "Alright, one big glass of ice water coming up." The blond supposed that with her being a youkai with an affinity to ice, she was a being who preferred cooler liquids to drink. Naruto helped himself to some green tea he had made earlier, and after setting the two cups down, spoke, "So, you wanted an interview?"

"Yes, if that's alright." Mizore replied, "Nothing formal, just a bit of information and your thoughts on Karate Club so far. We're a club, yes, but we also like to promote other activities on campus as well. Gives students something to look for on weekends if they have nothing else to do."

"Heh, I suppose, huh?" Naruto leaned back in his chair, "Well, I suppose I could start with my interest in martial arts..."

It was close to eleven by the time Mizore looked at the clock again, "Oh wow, is it really eleven?"

Naruto blinked, and laughed, "I guess so. I sort of went on a rambling session, didn't I?"

Mizore shook her head, "Not at all. You told me lots of interesting things; hopefully I can get it all in the article for our paper."

"Speaking of which," Naruto began, "what does Gin plan on doing with that Student Police group or whatever?"

Mizore shrugged, "I'm not sure..." She looked around, "Don't tell anyone this, but we managed to hand out the rest of our first copies to students interested while they passed by our room. Try to keep that under wraps, though. We technically are breaking 'rules', or so Gin says the Police Committee is stating to be the case." She sighed while putting her pen down, "As far as what we're going to do...I'm not sure. Kurumu is hellbent on printing her double-chocolate brownie recipe along with a few others in the next issue."

"Tell me you're not joking." Naruto stated, to which Mizore simply shook her head, "Man, I tried those brownies of hers. I nearly cried they were so good. I don't know how she does it, but she's got a knack for making desserts."

Mizore frowned a bit, "Well, yes, but she's horrible in most of her other classes."

"Heh, yeah, but Yukari's helping her, right?"

"True." Mizore spoke, "I could probably make desserts too, if I had an interest in them like she does."

"Well, if you make anything, I'd happily try it!"

"Really?" Mizore asked, "Um, well...I'm good at making homemade ice cream."

"You can make ice cream?" Naruto asked, "I haven't had ice cream in ages!"

"Neither have I." Mizore pulled out her sucker and adopted a pensive look, "In fact, I think I was at a winter festival in some town with my mother a few years back when I last had ice cream."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's make some this weekend!" Naruto stated, "I've got nothing going on except for Karate on Friday afternoon. How about it? Maybe the whole gang can join us."

"I...I suppose." Mizore agreed, "I'd like that a lot, Naruto-kun."

"Neat." Naruto grinned, "So, anything else you need from me for your interview?"

"No, that should be good." Mizore replied, putting her notes into her bag that she had brought along, "I enjoyed talking, Naruto-kun..." She paused for a few moments before speaking again, much quieter this time, "You're the nicest guy I've met in a long time..."

Naruto placed a gentle hand on hers, "Hey, don't worry about it. That Okuto bastard's not coming back, if what I heard about him was true. He was like a squid in the frozen food section of a food market according to what students said, heh."

Mizore laughed a little, "The Arashi-Ninja protected me from him. Okuto tried to..." She was quiet again; Naruto didn't press her to continue.

"Well, I also heard that a certain student helped the Arashi-Ninja. At least, I've heard _rumors_ that a student helped." He winked when Mizore blinked in confusion.

"You...you know of my powers?"

"N-no." Naruto waved a hand, "I just thought that, well, you know, since you were being bothered by Okuto that you-"

Mizore frowned, "Oh. Well...if you want to know my powers, I can show you."

Naruto understood that this was a very personal matter, "Mizore-chan, you don't have to show me your powers. Whatever happened doesn't change the fact that we're friends, alright?"

"..." Mizore sighed and held Naruto's hand a little, "...Naruto-kun, I trust you to keep it a secret."

"Mizore-chan..."

"It's alright. Don't feel like you have to show me your true identity if I show you mine." the Yuki-onna continued, "I _want_ you to see my true form."

Now, Naruto wasn't worried so much as he was concerned about frost building up in his apartment. Still, this seemed to matter a lot to Mizore. He gave her a smile, "Alright, Mizore-chan. Show me if you want to."

Mizore let go of Naruto's hand, and in what seemed like seconds, the room cooled rapidly and Naruto was staring at Mizore in her Yuki-onna form. He felt his face heat up as he looked into Mizore's deep blue orbs. He didn't know why, but there was just something captivating about her true form that made him stare, "Wow..."

Mizore, much to her credit, managed to stop herself from blushing too much. She could practically feel Naruto's eyes upon her, but she noticed that his eyes never really left her face. She laughed a little, "Naruto-kun, if you keep staring, you might bore a hole in my head."

The blond blinked before turning a deep read, "S-sorry. I was...just caught by surprise."

"I'm a Yuki-onna. A monster of the ice and snow."

"Well, I have to admit, I was expecting you to have teeth and claws, maybe scales."

"What if I did?" Mizore asked.

Naruto shrugged, "You'd still be my friend. Just so long as you don't decide to eat me in my room, heheh."

The two laughed a little before Mizore spoke, "I come from a village in a place that's always covered in snow. I guess since I normally live in such a cold place, I'm used to the cold. I don't like really warm temperatures too much."

Naruto nodded, "So, um...are these made of real ice?" He pointed at the icy claws on her hands, to which Mizore simply smiled.

"You can touch them if you want, Naruto-kun. They won't bite." Mizore teased. The blond touched the icicle claws and, just as he thought, they were indeed icicles. While they were cold, he could also feel a sense of warmth deeper within them. Perhaps not so much a warmth in the literal sense as a warmth of a living being's aura, in this case, the aura of Mizore.

"So, can you feel with these?"

"They're sort of the same as my human form's fingers are. I can feel pressure, temperature, and pain with them." Mizore answered, finding her impromptu lesson on Yuki-onna to be rather enjoyable.

"Wow...that's so cool. Your hair also kind of looks like ice, huh?"

"Yes. I've been thinking of getting it trimmed, though. I've really been letting it go." She ran a hand through her crystalline like strands, "Do you think I should?"

"It's your hair, Mizore-chan. It'll look fine either way."

Mizore rolled her eyes; she expected that kind of response from Naruto. As she reverted to her human state, she noticed Naruto was looking at her somewhat pensively.

"Something the matter, Naruto-kun?"

Blinking quickly for a second, Naruto's face evened out and he looked away from her. "Well, I was just thinking – you did trust me and show me your true form." He paused for a moment before continuing, facing towards her again, "I'm not too comfortable explaining what I am yet, but I think you deserve a hint at least, to show that I trust you too."

The Yuki-onna felt her blush coming back full force. "T-that's okay, Naruto-kun. I'm honored, but it was my choice, and you don't have to-"

Naruto held up a hand, stopping her. The blond tossed her a small smile before speaking, "The only other person who knows this fact is Tsukune, but that's only because we were on the same bus coming to this school." Naruto looked away again, briefly, before turning to face her and looked right into her eyes.

"Technically... I'm a human, Mizore-chan."

Mizore's mouth formed an 'O' shape before a look of concern settled on her delicate features. It wasn't long before she started to stutter out a response.

"W-wait, a-are you really? Are you okay? They say that they can k-kill any humans they find here, so it must be really dangerous for you!" Seeing the smile on Naruto's face, she stopped talking, only to turn away slightly and mumble, "I don't want anything to happen to you..."

Naruto's smile only grew larger as he moved one hand behind his head. "I don't think anything will happen to me, Mizore-chan. The Headmaster let me come to this school knowing I'm a human."

Mizore appeared to calm down, but was still frowning. "That may be, but there are other monsters in this school that won't care, and still try to hurt you if they find out somehow..."

"That's what the Arashi-Ninja is around for, right? He'll save me!" Naruto laughed, grinning, and he saw her mouth twitch upwards again, but she still didn't seem appeased.

"Look, Mizore-chan, I'm not _completely_ defenseless like most humans you've learned about. I did say that I'm human, but that's not _all_ I am. I'm not a monster, but I'm not a boundary being either. I'm something else entirely."

Now Mizore simply looked confused. "I didn't think there was anything else."

Naruto shrugged. "There is, but we're very, very rare. In fact,only nine of my kind can possibly exist. I just happen to be one of them, I guess."

"So... what can you do?" Mizore was leaning forward slightly, her eyes glowing. She was definitely interested in whatever he had to say.

"I... don't really know if I trust telling anyone that...yet. I'm sorry." As Mizore started to pout, Naruto quickly held up his hands in a placating gesture, "But I might be able to give you a very small sample."

Mizore didn't say anything, but settled for nodding rapidly, causing her long hair to bounce around her face animatedly.

Grinning once again, Naruto let out a deep breath and calmed himself. Opening his eyes, he stared at Mizore and tried to pull on a very, very minuscule amount of Kyuubi's chakra. It wasn't at all easy, but he lifted his hands to see that his nails were slowly growing longer. He watched as Mizore's face showed surprise, and she gasped as she pointed at his face.

"Y-your birthmarks! They're getting larger... and your eyes have changed... and your teeth look a lot sharper too. That's cool." She looked thoughtful for a brief moment before talking again, "You kind of look like Moka when we saw her transform, but your eyes aren't red and you have special markings on your face."

Naruto's grin only enlarged, showing off his now-sharpened canines even better. "Really? I heard about how she transformed. That's actually good to know, in case I need an excuse. This, however, is just a _small_ sample of what I can do. If I go any further, there could be problems."

Now that he thought about it, he _did _see some similarities between some of the features Kyuubi gave him and what Moka looked like when she had transformed. He figured his eyes weren't red since he was drawing on such a small amount of the vile chakra while he was calm and not angry or agitated.

"Problems?"

Naruto shook his head, "Don't worry about it right now."

Mizore looked like she wanted to press him further, but resisted. Instead, she gave an inquisitive look to the blond, "Are you strong?"

Naruto simply winked at her instead of replying, causing her to let out a small giggle, which Naruto found that he liked the sound of. He let the small amount of the Kyuubi's chakra flowing through him recede, causing his eyes to revert back to their normal pupil form and his nails to shorten. He felt his pointed canines begin to lose their sharpness as well, and eventually the tainted feel to his chakra was gone.

"Anyway... on the tests the Headmaster performed when I got here, they all showed that I was definitely human. But when I told him what I really was, he seemed more amused than anything else – and told me I'd fit right in. I think he already knew what I really was, and was just humoring me, since he knew one of my sensei from my home town."

Naruto started to chuckle, and Mizore found herself joining in his laughter as she was wondering just what in the world Naruto could be. He claimed to be human, but something different than an ordinary human. It was obvious he had unique powers, but he claimed he wasn't a monster or a boundary being as she knew them to be, even if he did strongly resemble a vampire.

All in all, it was very puzzling. A part of her wanted to go to Yukari, to see if maybe the brilliant witch had any ideas, but quickly put that thought out of her mind when she remembered Naruto trusted her not to tell anyone.

She would not betray that trust. Especially not if...

Glancing at the clock once again as she tried to stifle yet another blush she was certain was covering her face, her eyes widened when she realized it was only getting later. "Well, I should get going. I still have to get some reading done for Nekonome-sensei to do."

"It's pretty short," Naruto commented, "You'll finish it before it gets to be too late."

"Good; I don't think I'd enjoy reading until two in the morning tonight." She picked up her bag, "I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto-kun."

"Um, Mizore...do you want me to walk you back to your dorm?"

Mizore raised an eyebrow before smiling, "I'll be fine, Naruto-kun. I can take care of myself if anyone would try to do something to me in the middle of the night."

"Okay...be careful though. That Arashi-Ninja is only one guy, heheh." Naruto joked, though it was true.

"Oh, I'm not too worried. Besides," Mizore added, "If anything would happen to me, I can always have you beat up any guys who try to do anything to me."

Naruto gave her a thumbs up, "You bet!"

Mizore left Naruto's dorm after that. She let out another long sigh as she walked down the hall, "I really hope Kurumu doesn't start to get on my case about him. Knowing her, she'll probably try to make a love potion for me to give him in some cookies."

* * *

Naruto, meanwhile, was sitting in his chair, trying to keep the image of Mizore in his mind. He wasn't quite sure what he was feeling, but he did know that he found her attractive, with or without her true form. Still, there was the problem with trying to keep his double life going. Being a student and a shinobi vigilante was hard enough. Dating was something he had no experience in whatsoever.

"Wonder if Ero-Sennin's got any notes on dating..." Naruto frowned, "Did I seriously just consider looking at his scrolls for-"

Before anything further could be said, his world suddenly went black for a brief moment before the image of a clear night sky met his vision. He bolted up, and looked around, "What the? Where the hell am-"

"Naruto, hey!"

Naruto turned around to the sound of a familiar voice. He was met with the image of a large, bright-orange colored toad, "Gamakichi? Where am I?"

The son of the legendary Gamabunta smiled, "You're in our world, Naruto. This is the land of Myobokuzan!"

Naruto's eyes widened; Jiraiya told him once that the only way to get to the land where the toads of his summoning contract lived, he would have to travel for a month on a secret route from Konoha to the mountainous region, or be reverse summoned to the lands.

"Did you summon me here?"

"Nope, Fukasaku-sama did."

Naruto rolled the name around in his mind, but was unable to draw a face to the name, "Fukasaku?"

"That'd be me, Naruto-chan."

Naruto was a bit taken back when he looked down beside Gamakichi to a small green toad that looked to be several eons older than both him and the larger toad, "Eh?"

"I'm Fukasaku, one of the elders who live here in Myobokuzan." Fukasaku answered, "I helped train Jiraiya in the art of Senjutsu, and if you want, I'd like to offer you the same opportunity."

"Senjutsu?" Naruto asked. He recalled Jiraiya mentioning such a thing once, stating that it was a whole league above any normal shinobi art. That was it though, "Wait, you mean to tell me that this grandpa of a toad taught Ero-Sennin?"

Gamakichi frowned, "Oi, watch it, Naruto! Fukasaku's one of the wisest of all toads to have ever-"

"Hahaha, it's alright, Gamakichi." Fukasaku hopped over to Naruto, "It's obvious why Jiraiya-chan had such a fond appreciation for you as a student, eheheh." The elderly toad looked over the blond once, "I received a letter from Tsunade-sama via Katsuyu some time ago about your current living situation."

"...yeah, um...did you also get word about-"

"Yes. What happened to Konoha was a great tragedy. We got word from the Slug clan some time ago about the attack on the Hidden Leaf."

Naruto sighed, "I should have been there."

"Naruto-chan, I'm sorry, but you being there wouldn't have changed anything in your current state. Pain beat Jiraiya-chan in Sennin mode, and Shima and I were both with him as well."

Naruto clenched his fists, "I should have been with Ero-Sennin back in Amegakure as well! Maybe then he would still be-"

"Naruto-chan, that's enough." Fukasaku stated firmly, and let out a sigh, "Look, my boy, I understand that your main objective right now is to stay in Youkai for your own safety, and I would probably suggest you continue to do so. However..." the elderly toad gave Naruto a small smile, "Jiraiya-chan stated that you have a vast amount of potential to me on more than one occasion. Whenever you've got free time between this school your going to, I'd like to help you learn how to use Senjutsu."

"Um...okay." Naruto nodded.

Fukasaku made a hand seal, and a small scroll appeared in his hands, "Here, Naruto-chan, this is for you. It explains the basics of what Senjutsu is. Read it over until we begin our training here. Sound good?"

Naruto took the scroll from Fukasaku's hands, and grinned, "Sounds fine by me."

"Great to hear. Now, I'll let you get back to that Youkai Academy of yours. Keep in touch with us, alright? Just summon one of us toads when you want to begin your training."

Naruto would have said to just train him now, but he didn't want to have Kakashi, Sakura, Sai, and his other friends go into a panic at his sudden disappearance. So he just gave a nod to the two toads, "Roger that. I'm pretty sure that I'll have time to start training sooner rather than later."

"Good. I look forward to when we can get started on your training then, Naruto-chan."

Naruto's world disappeared again for a moment before he found himself back in his room He looked to his clock, and laughed. No more than ten minutes had gone by since he had been summoned.

He was soon in his bed, yawning deeply. Tonight, he would lay off the Arashi-Ninja duties. He just hoped he would find the time to begin his training with the toads soon. While school supposedly came first for him right now, he was still a ninja, and Akatsuki was still around if he was guessing right.

"Well, tomorrow's another day to worry about that..." Naruto stated with another yawn. Closing his eyes, he eventually drifted off to a sound sleep, the cool breeze of the night air blowing gently through his window as he slept.

A Sage. Not just a shinobi anymore, no. Naruto was going to train to become a true Sage.

_Drip..._

Naruto opened his eyes and blinked away the sleep. Taking a look at his surroundings, he cursed. Pipes on walls, dim lighting...water on the floor.

"Damn fox, what's he up to?"

Naruto walked down the corridors that he always seemed to know how to navigate despite not having any real mental map of the place in his mind. He turned a corner and found himself within the chamber where the giant cage was.

"Alright, you damned fox, what's this all about? I'm trying to sleep!"

There was a deep rumbling sound that sounded like a growl emanating from behind the bars. Naruto didn't flinch as two bloodshot, red irises opened behind the cage bars, as well as a set of large, wickedly sharp teeth, **"Naruto. It's been too long, you whelp."**

"Cut the crap. What do you want? Did you call me here because of the chakra I drew upon earlier?"

The Kyuubi roared in laughter, **"Hahaha! This has nothing to do with that negligible amount of chakra of mine that you drew upon." **The demon fox looked upon Naruto for a moment before continuing, its blazing red eyes not leaving his,** "You've grown even more of a backbone since we last spoke, eh?"** The fox neared the cage, tendrils of reddish-orange chakra leaking out from behind the bars, **"I was just curious as to why you didn't crush that fool who challenged you earlier when those obnoxious little friends of yours were selling those papers."**

"Who are you talking about? Kuyou?"

**"Yes, I suppose that's the name he used."**

Naruto frowned, "He wasn't worth my time. I had to get to class, anyway. What's it to you?"

** "You mean to tell me you couldn't sense it from him?"** The Kyuubi questioned, **"Hmph, I should have guessed as much from a pathetic mortal like yourself."**

"Sense _what_?" Naruto asked, "You mean his killer intent? That was weak; I've felt worse from Tsunade-baachan."

**"...so you couldn't sense it." **the demon fox stated, though it seemed to be mostly to itself, **"Forget it; you'll surely learn soon enough. Now leave."**

Naruto grit his teeth, "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Sense _what_, you damn wad of furry-"

The world around Naruto went white, and the blond blinked before everything went dark again. He opened his eyes to find himself lying on his bed, the early morning sunlight peeking through the window.

Naruto grimaced, "Damn it. The fox must have just wanted to ruin my sleep." Stretching, Naruto sat up on his bed and groaned as he looked at the clock; four fifty-five. He still had several hours worth of sleep he could get before he needed to get ready for school. Slumping back into his bed, he sighed.

If the Kyuubi was communicating with him openly, that meant one of two things; either Naruto was unconsciously drawing more on the fox's powers, or the seal was weakening. Seeing as Naruto had been avoiding the chakra of the Kyuubi for quite some time, that left him with option two.

If the seal was weakening, then it needed to be fixed, and Naruto hadn't the faintest of ideas on what to do to solve such a calamity. The seal was the only thing holding the Kyuubi within him. If it got weak and decided to for whatever reason to fail at doing what it was designed to so, he, along with wherever he would possibly be at the time, would be screwed royally.

Rolling over, he pushed the thought back for now. He was still tired, and wanted all the sleep he could get. Still, the fact that he had an almost casual conversation with the Kyuubi was weighing down upon him. Would it get worse for him? Was it just a normal thing for him to experience?

He had no clue, but he was going to find out.

**End of Chapter Six- Great googly-moogly that took forever to get done! Well, anyway, that's chapter six for you! Yeah, anyway, lots of stuff happening here! Kuyou's trying to find out more on our blond haired protagonists, and Mizore's attempting to get closer to Naruto as well. Oh, the drama!**

**On a sidenote, this isn't going to be a NaruSaku fic. I know it may have seemed like there was romantic stuff going on earlier, but this won't be as such. I just see Naruto and Sakura as very close friends, especially now with what's happened to them in this fic. She'll likely become more a big sister figure for him. So, no need to pull hair out over it, lol.**

**One more thing, I'd like to give a HUGE thanks to Paradox Jast for helping me mold out this chapter and making it better than what I had started with.**

**Well, as always, thanks for reading, and keep your eyes peeled for chapter seven! Later!**


	7. Interlude: Paper and Pen

**Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto; Rosario+Vampire is the property of Akihisa Ikedha. This is usually the part where I'd insert some witty comment about disclaimers, but I'm drawing a blank for ideas right now.**

**A/N- This is a little side-chapter, hence _interlude_ within the title. It's just background dialogs between a few of the characters via letters. While it's not an especially long chapter, I feel that it may better show what's going on outside of the main action within the chapters. Enjoy!**

**Rosario+Jinchuuriki  
Interlude: Paper and Pen**

Mother,

Hello, it's been awhile since I've had the chance to write to you. I hope everyone is doing well back home. Things are going fairly well for me in Youkai. The classes are a bit boring at times, but I have made a few good friends, so I'm dealing with the boredom.

On that note, there is a very important thing I want to ask your advice on. It's about a boy I met during the beginning of the school year. His name is Naruto Uzumaki, and he is an amazingly nice boy. I honestly mean it, too. He always listens to what I and our friends have to talk about, and always tries to give his thoughts and help us. Mother, I don't know what I truly feel right now for him, but I _do_ care about him.

I know you discussed the topic of finding a husband sometime in the next two or three years while I'm still young and able to have children. I think Naruto may be the possible person in that regard, Mother. I haven't talked to him at all about it yet, and it's a bit of a personal topic. I want to eventually bring up this topic with him—though I don't think it will be for a while. He makes me feel special, and he gives me a warmth that I find comforting. I know this may sound a bit romanticized, but I honestly feel happy around him.

On top of that, Naruto is the top student in gym class, easily better than almost all the upperclassmen. He is in Karate Club, and isn't afraid to speak his mind to those around him. He comes from a little village I have never heard of, but he doesn't talk much about his personal life. Although he's very outgoing, in private he is a very reserved person when it comes to talking about personal things. Still, as I said before, he is a very caring person.

I want your thoughts on this if possible. I'm a bit afraid, but I want to tell Naruto how I feel. Kurumu, Yukari, and Moka, three of my good friends, are trying to help, but it's a bit hard if I'm uncertain of what to do myself. Thank you, Mother.

Love,

Mizore

P.S- I mailed a picture of Naruto to you, just so you can get an idea of what he looks like. He's the blond in our group, right next to me. We caught him walking out of the gym after his club meeting, so that's why he's in his karate uniform. Moka is the girl with the pink hair, Yukari is the youngest on the far right, Tsukune is the boy next to Moka, and Kurumu is the girl in the yellow sweater between Naruto and Tsukune. Our Newspaper Club president, Gin, was taking our picture, so he's not in it.

* * *

Mizore,

Hello, dear. I'm happy to hear that everything is going well with you since we last talked. I remember when I was your age and in school. I send you my deepest sympathies as far as dealing with classes, but stay strong. Believe it or not, some of what you'll learn will come in handy later in life.

As for the main topic of your last letter, first off, I was overjoyed to hear that you found a boy that you like. The most important thing you can do right now is just go about this at a comfortable pace. There are no real directions I can give as far as telling someone that you care; it simply happens in many cases. When you feel comfortable enough to tell him your feelings, tell him. From what it sounds like, I'm certain he'd probably at the very least give a relationship with you a chance. The worst that could happen is that he says he's not interested, and even then, having a friendship between the two of you is a good thing.

The picture of him is very nice, by the way. He has a strong build to him, so he looks like he gets _plenty_ of exercise in. I must admit, I'm jealous that you found such a nice catch so easily. The blond hair and blue eyes really stand out.

Mizore, I want you to know that while it's important that you remember that you only have a few years to bear children, when you find a person that you care about, it's important to take the time to figure out how you feel. Everything will work out in the end, good or bad.

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck with the rest of school. Keep up the hard work, and I'll see you soon at the school festival. Be sure to introduce me to Naruto.

Love you always,

Mother

* * *

Hello Mother and Father,

How are you both doing back home? I've been rather busy with school, so I apologize for not being able to talk with you for such a long time. Classes are going alright, though they're really difficult at times. I'm getting help from my friends though, so it's good.

I've made many friends here at Youkai. There's one girl I've met named Moka; she's a really great person, and one of my best friends here. She helps me with my homework, and she always seems happy to spend time with me.

There's also Naruto, a friend I met who was on the same bus as me on our way to the Academy during the beginning of the school year. He's pretty cool, and is in the school's Karate Club. Kurumu, Yukari, and Mizore are three other girl's I've made friends with, and their in the Newspaper club with me. Gin, our club president, is a bit of a jerk sometimes, but overall he's alright for the most part.

Not much else to say aside from that. I hope to speak again with you both soon. Take care, and I'll write again when I can.

Tsukune

* * *

Naruto,

Yo. Just wanted to send you a letter for the sake of being able to. Still not completely up to par with this whole mail system; apparently they don't have courier ninja to take letters and get them to you, and unfortunately none of the birds in the school's aviary are trained to carry mail (one of them even tried to bite me, although it was about twice my size now that I think about it).

Hope you're doing well in classes—and training—as well as taking care of yourself. I want to talk to you about something of importance within the coming week if possible. I've already talked with both Sai and Sakura, and both of them are happy with my idea. I'd write it down on this letter, but I feel it's a more personal matter that I want to speak to you about face to face.

Other than that, I've been trying out that 'Internet' thing that Sai showed me the other day. I looked up some stuff on this Japan place, and found out it's actually very nice. They got a really big city that would dwarf Konohagakure tenfold, it's called Tokyo. Try to imagine the Hokage Tower, and multiply the size by at least ten times in height. That's the size of some of their buildings. I couldn't believe it!

I was also wondering; I only managed to carry one copy of Icha Icha on my person when I warped here with Sakura and Sai, and it's my favorite. Still, I was hoping you might be able to help me with the situation and lend me a copy of one of the other two volumes. I can understand if you want to hold onto them for sentimental reasons and I totally understand that. Still, I respected Jiraiya-sama's work, and I'd really like to read over one of the other two volumes if possible.

Well, stop on by if you ever have time. Otherwise I'll possibly stop by your place; the nurses say I should be able to move on my own within the next week.

Until we meet,

Kakashi

* * *

Kakashi-sensei,

You pervert! You just sent me a letter so you could get a hold of one of Ero-Sennin's smut novels. Fine, I'll give one to you; I think Ero-Sennin packed a scroll full of ten of every single release of Icha Icha anyway, so I can part with one for you.

Maybe we can even try to publish the books in that other world where humans live and help the three of you pay for expenses until you're all able to get jobs? I imagine that if they sold well enough in our world, they probably will do as well in this place where Japan is.

Just don't let Sakura-chan know.

Naruto

* * *

Naruto,

Thanks, and don't worry, Sakura won't know a thing about this.

Kakashi

* * *

Hi Mom,

Hello! It's me! School's lots of fun, well, most of the time it's boring, but club is fun and I've made lots of great friends! There's this one boy named Tsukune, and he's so handsome! I think he's my Destined One! I'm trying hard to show him that I really care about him, but he seems to care more about this girl named Moka Akashiya.

It's kind of hard, because Moka's a really good friend of mine, but she knows I like Tsukune too. Tsukune is a really nice boy, so I don't think he wants to hurt either of our feelings. I don't want to pressure him into a situation like that, but I don't want Moka to take him from me, either.

Well, aside from that, another boy that I've become friends with is Naruto Uzumaki. He's in my Home Economics Class, and he's _really_ cool, and funny! I talk to him during our lunch break all the time—when Moka's got Tsukune to herself, that is—and Naruto always has some kind of joke or story to tell me. On top of that, my friend Mizore—she's a girl that's in my Newspaper Club—has a crush on him, but she's too nervous to tell him. I'm trying to help get the two together, along with Yukari—she's a witch who's really smart so she skipped a few grades—and Moka, but she's too unsure of herself. It's so cute and frustrating at the same time!

I hope to see you soon. The festival will be coming up, and I can introduce you to Tsukune and my other friends then. Take care until then!

Love you much!!

Kurumu

* * *

Kurumu,

Hello, honey. I was so happy when I got your letter! It's good to see that you're enjoying school. I bet all the boys are swooning over you, aren't they?

This Tsukune that you told me about sounds interesting. I want to meet the boy for myself and see what's got you so head over heels for him. If he's your Destined One, then don't give up on him, sweetie! If you want, I can help convince him that you're the right girl for him.

I am proud of you, however, for respecting your other friend Moka's feelings. That's very mature of you to not be mean about it; in a way you've grown up a lot since you went you left for Youkai. Just remember that being nice doesn't mean you can't compete, honey. You're my daughter, and I don't expect you to go down without a fight!

I'm a bit surprised that you're not only being a proper Succubus, but also playing cupid, too! You've got to introduce me to your two friends! I bet they're just so adorable together! Keep it up and I'm sure they'll eventually start to fall for each other.

Alright, well, I look forward to seeing you, Kurumu dear. I miss you so much!

Love you,

Mom

* * *

Kokoa,

Hello, dear sister. It's been a long time since we've spoken last, hasn't it? I miss seeing you, since you haven't tried to ambush me in quite a while, so I wanted to send you this letter. School is going well for me, and I've made many dear friends here. There's one student among the many boys here that I am especially good friends with named Tsukune Aono. He's kind and not bothered at all by the fact that I am a vampire—he found out by accident, so please don't tell anyone that he knows that I am a vampire—plus he has very tasty blood!

I've joined the school newspaper club, and am enjoying it a great deal! We get to write up the articles that are handed out to the students, and my friends are all in the club with me.

Youkai Academy is so much more fun than school was for me back in the human world. I've had a wonderful time here so far, but I still think about you and Kahlua every now and then, so please know that I always keep you two close to my heart.

I hope to hear back from you soon! I love you, Kokoa-chan!

Moka

* * *

Onee-chan,

Geesh, you really have gotten soft on me! That letter made me sick to my stomach with how sugar-coated you made everything sound. Well, I'm glad you're doing well at least. I haven't fought you in a long time though, so you better not have gotten rusty on me! Otherwise I'll beat you when we meet next!

I'm doing well for the most part; school's kind of boring, and I'm not sure what the plan is for when I'm finished here. Hopefully after I'm done at this school I'll get to go to somewhere where there's stronger people. Everyone here is weak!

Who's this 'Tsukune' that you were talking about?? You make him sound like a boyfriend of yours or something! You said he's got tasty blood, too? You've been drinking his blood? Onee-chan, I can't believe you'd stoop that low and go drinking some lower-class monster's blood. Well, I guess I'll have to meet this 'Tsukune' when I get a chance to see you.

Take care of yourself, but don't get any softer on me! I want to fight you, and it'd be pointless to fight you if you're not at your best!

Later,

Kokoa

* * *

Moka,

Hey, I know this is weird to be sending you a letter, but do you have any idea when Naruto's birthday is? I was just wondering in case Tsukune ever told you; you know that Naruto and him talk a lot and all that. I'd ask you upfront, but I can just imagine someone overhearing it and spoiling my idea to possibly throw a party for him.

Thank you,

Mizore

* * *

Mizore,

Oh, are you going to try and get Naruto a present, Mizore? That's so sweet of you!! I agree though; Naruto should have a birthday! I think Tsukune's got one coming up soon, but he hasn't been saying anything. It's been almost two months since we started school, and I think I remember him saying in passing to me that he'll be turning sixteen soon.

Maybe I can get Tsukune to ask Naruto? Sometimes I think Naruto's trying to hide information from us on purpose, don't you think? If anything, I'm sure Kurumu can get the answer out of him; she's pretty good at getting Naruto to talk when she wants him to.

Alright, I'll see what I can do, Mizore!

Moka

* * *

Naruto-baka,

I found out that Kakashi-sensei asked you to borrow your copies of Icha Icha. Now – I know you're probably surprised that I'm bothering to write you instead of talking to you directly about it. It might be a little embarrassing for us to talk about it face to face, not to mention that I might be sorely tempted to hit you.

However... you're saved from having to experience that for two reasons. First, Kakashi-sensei doesn't know that I overheard him talking to Sai about the whole thing while I was pretending to sleep. He still doesn't know how to control the volume of his annoying giggling, and it woke me up. I was able to vent to him the next time I saw him. Secondly, your idea of using the money made from the sales to help us get situated until we could make money on our own; it was very sweet of you. There might have been more to your letter, but since Sai didn't seem to understand what Kakashi-sensei was talking about it, he got bored and they moved on to another topic.

I would like to make one small request. I want to review the content of the Icha Icha series since I am currently bedridden, and it will give me something to do. Not only that, but it will allow me to make sure nothing _completely_ inappropriate is being published in those books. If they degrade women too much, I will not tolerate seeing them published in their current form, got it?

Don't look too much into it, either! I simply want to review them, that's all!

Love,

Sakura

P.S. Yes, I signed it with love, but don't look into that too much either! It's not like that!

* * *

Naruto,

I guess Sakura overhead me talking to Sai about our idea for republishing Icha Icha. Luckily, it seems like she's not going to take out her 'utter disgust in our pervertedness' on you, as she so well put it. Unfortunately, I had to take the brunt of that; the doctors say I may need another week to recover from her bout of anger. Just to let you know, she managed to compensate her lack of mobility by throwing anything and everything within her reach, including the side table by her bed.

On the bright side, if we do manage to get the series republished, it will be well worth the effort. I was thinking that maybe you can even ghostwrite more editions to the series if it does well.

Later,

Kakashi

* * *

Kakashi-sensei,

Ero-Sennin actually gave me some 'advice' on writing his series if I wished to continue it for him later on down the road. He has it in one of the numerous scrolls he gave me. I never gave that idea much thought, but it's possible, I guess.

Sorry to hear about what happened with you and Sakura-chan, though I suppose you kind of deserved it for being so careless around her.

See you later,

Naruto

* * *

Headmaster,

In concern towards the student named Naruto Uzumaki, I believe that in the benefit of the school's own safety that I be given access to Uzumaki's personal files. Twice you have denied the Student Police Committee access to said files, and while we shall always respect your decisions, we have not been given any reason. Please take our request into consideration.

Kuyou,

Head of the Public Student Safety Commission of Youkai Academy

* * *

Kuyou,

While your concern about the supposedly 'disruptive' behavior of student Naruto Uzumaki has been an issue for your organization for some time, I assure you that Uzumaki is not a threat to the academy's safety. As such, I feel there is no reason for you to view his files.

Headmaster of Youkai Academy,

Tenmei Mikogami

**End of Interlude- There you have it! Parents and children writing back and forth! Naruto and Kakashi talking about Icha Icha! Kakashi discovers the Internet! What lies in store for our heroes? Well, I have the answers, but I won't tell you! Am I mean for doing so? Possibly. Do I lose sleep over it? Not at all. Well, keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter!**

**Another shout-out to Paradox Jast for helping me with this little edition to Rosario+Jinchuuriki! Thanks Jast!**


	8. A New Family

**Disclaimer: Rosario+Vampire is the property of Akihisa Ikedha, and Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto. However, Tsukune Aono is property of Moka Akashiya, even if he's not aware of it yet.**

**Rosario+Jinchuuriki  
Chapter Seven: A New Family**

_'...b-but Kensuke, we can't do it here! This is a public park! What if someone sees us?'_

_'Ah, but Miyoko-chan, can our love for each other really be bound by such trivial matters? Who cares if anyone else sees us?'_

Naruto felt his face heat up a bit as he continued reading. He had been a bit adamant about it at first, but after some gentle persuasion from Kakashi—who stated that Naruto was 'adult' enough to read such things—the young shinobi decided to read the literary works of Jiraiya.

He didn't want to admit it, but the old sage knew how to write his adult novels. There was actually quite a bit of humor laced into the chapters, and while the material was far from 'child friendly' it also wasn't downright raunchy like Naruto had imagined. He had read a few pages in the past, but only bits and pieces.

Reading the whole story was a completely different experience for the blond. He was a bit sad that he never gave his godfather's books a chance when he was still around. Then again, Naruto half-suspected that Jiraiya just liked getting a rise out of Naruto, and honestly didn't mind the fact that the young shinobi didn't want to read the adult novels.

"Enjoying a good book, are we?"

Naruto jumped up in surprise and spun around to see Kakashi squatting on the entrance of his open window. He gave Naruto his trademark lazy wave as the blond shoved the book under his bed, "K-Kakashi-sensei? What are you doing here?"

"Saying hi, isn't it obvious?"

"W-well, yeah, but...why?"

Kakashi surprised Naruto by not replying right away. He instead scratched the back of his head and sighed, "Are you busy at the moment?"

Naruto shook his head, "Nope. Karate Club was canceled today because of a budget meeting for Haji-senpai and the other club leaders."

The seasoned Jounin nodded, "Good. I was hoping I could talk to you about something rather important."

"Is is about Konoha? Sakura-chan and Sai? Money? I have plenty of money from Ero-Sennin and my saved up money in my scrolls if you guys need-"

Kakashi held up a hand, "Easy, Naruto. As for the questions, yes, sort of yes for both Sakura and Sai, and no." Kakashi took in a deep breath, and was a bit relieved that Naruto decided to give him some time to collect his thoughts, "I..." He stopped speaking again and groaned, "Damn, this wasn't supposed to be so damn hard to do...Naruto, I...I know I'm not necessarily the best role model in the world, and I know you, Sakura, and Sai are all old enough to care for yourselves, but..."

Naruto raised an eyebrow as Kakashi got up from his perch on the window and leaned against the wall, "You alright, Kakashi-sensei?"

"I'm fine, just trying to pick my words here."

"Well, just say it like you mean it. That's probably the best thing to do."

"Heh," Kakashi chuckled, "I suppose with you that's probably the best. Naruto, I'll just come out and say it; I'd like to adopt you as my son."

"Heh, see, that wasn't..." Naruto stopped in mid-sentence and blinked, "Wait...what?"

"I would like to adopt you, Naruto. I think it'll be a great experience for all of us."

"What do you mean by 'all of us'?"

The Jounin nodded, "Ah, right. I already talked with Sakura and Sai, and they're both accepting of the idea. You're the only one I haven't talked to yet."

A look of realization dawned on Naruto, "So that's what you were talking about in the letter you sent..." The blond looked to the floor, his expression rather neutral.

"Don't feel that you're obligated to just because Sai and Sakura are okay with it. You're old enough to make your own choices. I just...thought it'd help us all stick together, and I can provide for you more easily if I'm your legal guardian. The Headmaster said that's the way things tend to work in this world, at least."

Naruto smiled, "Kakashi-sensei...I don't want you to feel like you owe me anything for-"

"That's besides the point on whether or not I'm indebted to you, Naruto. This is just a personal choice I wanted to make. I have no family of my own, and you three are the closest I have to the real thing. May as well make it official for this world."

"Why, though? I mean...I don't want you to pay for my expenses and-"

Kakashi stopped Naruto by placing a firm hand on his shoulder, "Naruto, I _want_ to do this. Alright? No one's pressuring me to do this." The one visible eye on Kakashi's face closed as he smiled, "I honestly don't want to think of what it'd be like living without you kids in my life. You may be my students, but your family as well."

Naruto took in a deep breath before looking up, his eyes moist around the corners, "I-if you really think I should be a part of your family...then, I guess I'd like that. A lot."

"Good. I actually got the documents to sign with the Headmaster; we can go over them sometime later this week, alright?" He ruffled the blond's hair as Naruto grinned, beads of unshed tears in his eyes, "Besides, I think Sakura said she always wanted a younger sibling; Sai's a few months older than her from what they figured out."

"Wait," Naruto began, "So I'm the _youngest_?"

"Yep."

Naruto grumbled, "Damn it, that means I'll get teased the most."

"I think that's already true for you, Naruto." Kakashi laughed, "You're already the strongest of the three, and it'll be your job to chase away any boys that try to flirt with Sakura."

Naruto snorted in laughter, "I don't think she'll need the help."

Kakashi left shortly after that—but not without telling Naruto to get his algebra done—leaving the blond to mull over what had just transpired. Naruto had just gained a family that was official in all but blood. Well, he had already saw them all as family (even Sakura as of late, he was slowly losing that boyhood crush he had on her), now they truly were related to him.

"I just hope Sakura-chan doesn't start to become the overprotective big sister..." Naruto thought aloud, but then it dawned upon him, "Wait...she already sort of is overprotective..."

~o~o~o~o~

The week flew by for Naruto; about a day later, the legal documents were signed, and Kakashi Hatake was now the legal guardian of Naruto Uzumaki, Sai Hatake, and Sakura Haruno. Seeing as Sai had never been given a real identity while living under Root, Kakashi just gave him his name. Sai had no objections. Naruto and Sakura wanted to keep the original names for now; and Kakashi was completely understanding of their feelings.

It was going onto the middle of the first trimester, and soon the various classes would be cramming assignments down the students throats. At least that's what Kurumu had lamented in the middle of lunch on Friday.

"I can't keep up with all the classes! I wake up everyday before most of the students to get my homework done that I didn't finish last night, and it's getting to be too much!"

Naruto rolled his eyes as Yukari laughed, his senses alerting him to the ensuing fight, "Maybe if you didn't spend all your time worrying about chasing Tsukune-kun you'd be able to do your homework."

"At least I have a chance at attracting his attention, you flat-chested-"

Naruto closed his eyes as he let the dull thrumming of Kurumu and Yukari beginning to exchange blows and insults fade into the background. He'd gotten quite used to their squabbling, and to be honest, he sort of enjoyed the insults once in awhile.

"Cow!"

"Loli-witch!"

"Yeah, you're just jealous that I have a youthful appeara-ow! My hair!"

Moka managed to calm the two down, though the vampire girl was now being assaulted via groping from Yukari. Kurumu scooted closer to Naruto and grinned, "So, I heard you had an interview with Mizore the other night."

The young shinobi couldn't help but notice the glint in the Succubus's eyes, "Um, y-yeah. We talked about the Karate Club and stuff like that."

"...that's it?" Kurumu asked with a knowing smile, "Nothing else?"

"Not really."

"Naruto and I simply discussed the club's activities, that's it."

"Gah! Damn it, Mizore, stop doing that!" Kurumu shrieked as the Yuki-onna popped out from underneath the table, "Seriously, that sneaky behavior of yours is creeping me out."

"I'm not being sneaky." Mizore replied as she took in a mouthful of chilled soba, "Besides, Naruto-kun saw me earlier when I first got here."

Kurumu gave the blond a questioning look, to which Naruto simply shrugged, "I...just thought she wanted to eat in a shady area. I mean...don't want the noodles to get warm from the sun, right?"

The Succubus shook her head before continuing, "Well, either way, we need to get that article in soon, Mizore. Hell, now we have to meet the deadline _and_ get approval from the Public Safety Commission." She sighed, "It's so annoying."

Naruto gulped down the last of his ramen that he had prepared earlier for lunch and laughed, "Bah, that policing group is nothing more than a bunch of power-hungry students. That's all."

Tsukune, who had been content with just listening to the others, piped in, "Er, Naruto...you shouldn't be talking so lightly about them." He lowered his voice before continuing, "I...I've heard bad _things_ about them from Gin-senpai..."

"Oh no! Not _things_!" Naruto waved a hand dismissively, "Tsukune, don't worry about it. They have no legitimate reason to place me or any of us under arrest. Besides, even if they tried to, I'd kick their asses for doing so!"

"Well, you felt that killer intent that their leader gave off, Naruto. He was really creepy..." Moka spoke, "I don't like them at all."

Naruto was half-tempted to say that her sealed personality was much scarier in comparison, but bit his tongue; no need to embarrass Moka, "Like I said, don't worry about them, Moka-chan. I can take care of myself, and I know my rights as a student."

"That's pretty brave, Naruto-kun." Mizore spoke from under the table, "I'd say a bit overconfident too, but you seemed pretty sure of yourself the other day when that Kuyou and you talked."

"Eh, I've dealt with worse jerks than him and lived." Naruto chugged his milk down and sighed, "Well, I got to go; I need to speak with Nekonome-sensei about that mid-term paper before lunch is over. See you all later!"

Naruto dashed off towards the academic buildings with his backpack on one shoulder. Mizore watched his back as he disappeared behind the entrance doors and blushed a bit, _"He really doesn't let things like the Student Police Committee bother him. How is he so confident like-"_

Mizore's thoughts were interrupted by a snickering voice. She looked up to see Kurumu looking down at her with that knowing smile, "What?"

Kurumu just kept grinning, "You've got it bad."

"I do not."

"Why didn't you ask him out or anything like that?"

"...I sort of did." Mizore began, "In fact...we were going to make ice cream tonight. I...I thought about having the rest of you come to my place so we can do that, but I'm not so sure if that's a good idea. He might get the idea that I just see him as a friend if everyone else is there."

Kurumu gave a smile, "Mizore, that's great of you to ask him over like that!" She frowned though when Mizore said nothing further, "Well, I guess if you want my opinion, I think the two of you just by yourselves wouldn't be taking it too quickly."

"You sure? I don't want to make it seem like I'm trying too hard to get his attention..."

"Heheh, I don't think you'll have to try to hard if that's what you're going for." Yukari added, having ducked under the table, "I think you and Naruto would be a cute couple! Maybe I could even get in on-"

"No."

Yukari pouted, "You're no fun."

Mizore just shook her head, "That's beside point; Naruto seems like a really reserved person in terms of having a relationship with anyone."

"Hey...I have an idea," spoke Moka, "I recall Naruto telling me that he recently got adopted by a teacher of his. He said that one of his old childhood friends and him are sort of like brother and sister now because of it. It was...kind of confusing, but I guess he's part of a family made up of friends. Tsukune, I forget, do you remember his sister's name?"

Tsukune rubbed his chin, "Um...wasn't it like...Sakura or something like that? Something about cherry blossoms and spring..."

"Oh!" Moka beamed, "Sakura Haruno! Yeah, yeah, and she apparently has known Naruto for a long time! I bet she'd be a great resource for information on Naruto!"

Mizore frowned a little, "How come Naruto never told me?"

Tsukune laughed, "Well, it was kind of by pure chance we found out. I saw Naruto talking to a pink haired girl near the hospital wing. She was in a wheel-chair and they seemed to be really close. I asked him later when Moka and I were talking to him after homeroom, and he told us a bit about his new family."

Yukari smiled, "So he has a family now? That's great!" More than anyone else, she was happy to hear that her blond-haired friend was no longer an orphan, "So, we should see about getting that Sakura to tell a bit about Naruto, right?"

"Yeah, but...what should I ask her? Will she even like the idea of someone trying to get personal information on-"

Kurumu waved a hand, "I swear, Mizore, you worry too much about things like that." She winked as Mizore blushed, "Who's to say that this Sakura girl won't like you, either? Maybe she'll be happy to hear that someone's interested in that lovable knucklehead."

The Yuki-onna gave a weak glare to Kurumu, "He's not a knucklehead."

"You're so cute when you defend him like that." Kurumu noted before putting her hands up defensively, "Alright, alright, sorry. I meant it in an endearing manner anyway."

"Naruto's not the smartest, Mizore. Otherwise he would have made the moves on you already, teehee!" The young witch ducked as an icicle kunai missed her head.

~o~o~o~o~

"Seventy-four...seventy-five...seventy-six..."

"Um...excuse me?"

Sakura paused with the barbell over her torso. She blinked as she met the eyes of a girl with purple hair and ice blue eyes. She set the weights (which were close to one hundred and fifty pounds total) on the rack before hoisting herself up into a sitting position on the weight bench, "Hello, can I help you?"

The girl, who looked to be a bit younger than her, looked down for a moment before speaking, "Are you by any chance Sakura Haruno?"

Sakura smiled, "That's me."

"So you're Naruto's new big sister." Mizore looked up and gave a small smile of her own, "I'm Mizore Shirayuki, a friend and classmate of Naruto's."

The rosette beamed at the Yuki-onna, "Oh! So you're Mizore! Naruto's told me about you." She extended a hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mizore-san."

"Mizore's fine."

Sakura grinned, "Then call me Sakura. A friend of Naruto's is a friend of mine." The kunoichi stretched her arms a bit before continuing, "What can I help you with?"

"Well..." Mizore began, "I...I was just wondering if you by any chance would be able to tell me anything about Naruto. I...I would ask him, but he seems to be rather evasive when I bring up anything that relates to personal life."

Sakura gave the girl a neutral, if not somewhat cautious look, "Naruto's got his reasons, I'm sure. I know a bit about him, and even he probably has secrets that he's kept from me."

Mizore gave a light gasp, "Oh! I-I didn't mean it in a manner of you sharing with me stuff that he'd rather keep secret. I honestly respect his privacy, but...well..."

The Yuki-onna looked away again, and Sakura could tell the by the light blush adorning her face that she was being sincere, "It's alright." She pointed towards the wheelchair near her weight bench, "Would you mind bringing that to me?"

Mizore gave a nod before wheeling over the chair to Sakura. The kunoichi skillfully maneuvered herself into the seat with her upper body strength alone, and gave a grin, "Walk with me. I'll tell you a little about Naruto."

Mizore ended up following the pink haired girl around the campus area, listening as Sakura recalled a few stories about Naruto from her memory. Naruto was apparently quite the prankster back in their elementary days. Ever since she had known him, he lived alone in a rather small and humble abode. He had a close relationship with the mayor of their hometown, almost like that of a grandfather and grandson, and had a knack for making himself known to those around him, one way or another.

"Oh, and there was the first time we met Kakashi-sensei. You met him, right?"

"Yes, Hatake-san. He seems like a good man."

Sakura gave a nod as she looked up to the sky, "Well, Kakashi-sensei was sort of a personal friend as well as our teacher. Anyway, the day we were to meet Kakashi-sensei, Naruto got impatient waiting for him. Then again, Kakashi-sensei _was_ several hours late, so he had it coming."

Mizore's eyes widened, "Several _hours_?"

Sakura shrugged, "Our little village has a rather laid-back academic program, apparently. Well, as I was saying, Naruto decided to teach Kakashi-sensei a lesson by placing an eraser between the door frame and the door. When Kakashi-sensei finally arrived, the eraser fell right on his head, covering him in chalk dust." Sakura let out a quiet laugh, "At the time, I thought it was really immature. Now that I look back on it, I really enjoyed those memories."

There was a faint tone of melancholy in Sakura's voice as she spoke. Mizore would have asked about it, but decided not to, "So, what about Naruto's hobbies? Does he have any favorite things?"

Sakura turned to face Mizore fully, a sly grin on her face, "You plan on giving him a present or something?"

"..." Mizore looked away again, blushing slightly. Sakura just continued smiling as she continued onward.

"Naruto, in case you didn't already notice, has an unnatural love for ramen, especially miso ramen. He loves the color orange, but I half suspect that he just likes it because it makes him stand out."

"Orange?" Mizore repeated, a bit surprised, "I always suspected him as more of a blue or darker color."

"Oh, trust me, he loves orange. He gripes to me whenever he can about how boring the school uniforms are." Sakura shook her head, "That and the lack of ramen. He's living off of his stock that he brought with him from home right now, and he's been running dangerously low as of late."

"He's been complaining about that whenever he eats the cafeteria food."

"An unfortunate side effect of eating that stuff for most of his life. It's like a drug to him, heh..." Sakura sighed, "Mizore, I really don't think it's my place to be speaking for him, but...I trust you." The kunoichi was quiet for a moment as she stopped pushing her wheelchair forward, "Naruto...he had a father-like figure not too long ago. He was Naruto's godfather, Jiraiya."

"I never heard him talk about his godfather." Mizore stated, "Were they close?"

"Very. Jiraiya was actually a sort of mentor to Naruto's father..." The kunoichi sighed, "I know this only because Naruto told me recently. Anyway, Jiraiya died some time ago, and it hit Naruto really hard. He went into a deep depression and he has just started to show signs of recovery. At least that's what Kakashi-sensei told me."

Mizore began to understand the reasons behind Naruto and his aloof behavior at times. How he distanced himself from others, but was still there if you needed him, "He's a really selfless person, Sakura."

"Isn't he, though?" Sakura replied, "You know, I'm pretty sure had things gone a bit different Naruto and I, we'd be dating, possibly."

"D-dating?" Mizore repeated, "I-I thought that you were sort of like a big sister to him!"

Sakura giggled, "I am, but at the same time, Naruto had the biggest crush on me. Unfortunately, I was a stubborn brat for the longest time and didn't get it through my thick forehead just how great of a person he was. Then when I just started to see him for what he truly is, he left for two years with his godfather."

"Why did he leave?" Mizore questioned.

The kunoichi came up with an answer on the fly, "Cultural experience, from what I understand. Jiraiya was a rather famous person in our region, and he had lots of friends and familiars. He wanted to get Naruto into the family business, so to speak."

"What was the family business?"

Oh boy, Sakura was starting to get into dangerous territory. What did Naruto say to use should anyone ask about him and his past?

"Writing novels."

Mizore actually cocked her head to the side, "Writing...novels?"

"S-sort of, I guess. Naruto never really explained much to me; he didn't have that big of an interest at the time, though I think he may pick it with his godfather having passed away."

"I never pictured him to be the writing type." Mizore stated with some degree of amusement, "Has he started anything yet?"

Sakura gave a hum, "Not really, but he's _planning_ something out. He's keeping it all real hush-hush though. Only Kakashi-sensei knows anything about it aside from Naruto. I volunteered to help edit his work, and Naruto stated that he thought it was a great idea." She waved an arm around, "It's all just a side project right now, Naruto's more concerned about his education."

"I think I'd like to read his work if he ever gets it started. Something tells me it'd be really good." the Yuki-onna stated.

"Eheheh...m-maybe." Sakura laughed. She wasn't too sure about the girl and her tastes, but stating that Naruto was working on creating an adult novel series just didn't seem like a good idea.

The two were soon heading towards the campus park area, and Mizore took note of the sun's current location. It was probably close to four in the afternoon, "Wow, it's gotten pretty late."

"Mm." Sakura looked to the horizon as well, "You know, Mizore, I'm curious. What do you see in Naruto?"

"Huh?"

Sakura turned to the purple haired teen, "It's okay. Be honest."

Mizore kept her gaze on Sakura, icy blue meeting emerald green, "I care for Naruto-kun. Deeply. I...I don't know if it's really love, but...he means a lot to me. If anything, he's a very important friend that I _hope_ that can possibly become something more."

Sakura gave a nod, then turned back to the sunset, "...Naruto's important to me as well, Mizore. I may not love him in the romantic sense...but he's one of the most important people in my life. While he may be sixteen years in age...at heart, he's still a kid."

Mizore was a bit startled when Sakura's eyes were a bit moist, "Sakura?"

"Sorry. Just...thinking back on some not-so-good memories."

"What?"

Sakura closed her eyes, "Mizore, like you said, Naruto's a very selfless person. He'll hide his pain from people if it means they'll be happy. Just remember that. Naruto's been through a lot of hard times, and he tries to hide that hurt behind a grin. That's one thing about him that I don't think will ever fully change."

"I..." She sensed the seriousness behind Sakura's soft tone, "I understand."

"Thank you." Sakura spoke.

Mizore was a bit unsure if she should speak, "Um..."

"Sorry," Sakura spoke, "Like I said, reminiscing on the past. I get a somber sometimes when I do that." She held her hand out to Mizore, "I think I'll go out on a limb here and say that you plan to ask Naruto if he wishes to date you, right?"

Mizore didn't try to hide her blush this time, "Yes."

"Heheh, be ready, Mizore. He's a real handful when he's excited about something." She wheeled herself around to face towards the academic building. Mizore followed her, letting the silence fall between them again.

"Um, Sakura?"

"Hm?"

"Do you know what day Naruto's birthday is?"

The kunoichi looked up in thought as she continued on down the path, "If I recall correctly...it's..." She mumbled to herself a bit before letting out an 'ah!' and nodding, "The tenth of October!"

"Really? That's...a few months from now."

"Thinking of throwing a surprise party for him?" Sakura winked while Mizore just looked everywhere but at the rosette, "He likes simple things. If anything, just wishing him a happy birthday would make his day, though getting him a gift would only be right."

"What does he like? Ramen? A punching bag for practicing karate?"

"That's the thing," Sakura began, "He'll take anything you give him. A gift from a friend is something worth keeping, at least in his eyes that's the case."

Well, that didn't help Mizore's current dilemma. Trying to get a boy to know you care for him, throwing a party for him, and not knowing what he likes or what to get him? Such is that of the cruel world of romance.

"Mizore," Sakura spoke, "I believe that as long as you get him something that you believe expresses how you feel, he'll like it. He can be dense as lead sometimes, but he's also a perceptive guy when the time calls for it..." She chuckled, "If all else fails, I'll knock it into his thick skull about how you feel."

"Ah...well..." Mizore gave a small bow, "Thank you, Sakura. I truly appreciate you taking time out of your day to talk with me about Naruto."

"Don't worry about it. I want Naruto to be happy, and I think you might be the person to give him the kind of happiness he needs." Sakura replied.

"Happiness...he needs..." Mizore repeated, trying to filter out the suggestive undertones from Sakura's statement.

The kunoichi raised an eyebrow, catching onto the Yuki-onna's thoughts. She snickered a bit, and Mizore tried to stammer out an apology to which Sakura merely waved off, "Don't worry about it. I won't lie; Naruto's got a great body." She gave Mizore an even look before continuing, "Just don't push him into something he's not comfortable with."

"I would never." Mizore responded, her eyes widening a little.

"I don't believe you would. In turn, if Naruto does anything that you feel uncomfortable with...well, just let me know."

Soon enough the two found themselves near the hospital wing of the academic building. Sakura bid Mizore a good day, and headed back to her room, certain that the nurses were going to have a conniption fit about her being out for so long when she should be resting and trying to recover.

Sure enough, as soon as she reached the front desk area, the nurse was on her, "Haruno-san, where have you been? I know you said you were going out to get some fresh air, but you can't be out and about for such extended periods of time like that. It's bad enough that you insist on going to the weight training area every other-"

Sakura tuned out the distressed nurse, already certain she knew what was being told to her. Eventually she gave a half-hearted apology to the nurse, stating she'll 'be more careful' in the future, and headed into her room. She was surprised to see two girls sitting by Sai, having a casual conversation from what it seemed like.

Sai was the first to notice Sakura's arrival, "Oh, Sakura, you're back." He gave her a wave, "These two are Moka Akashiya and Yukari Sendo. They're good friends of Naruto's."

Sakura gave a nod to the two, their names sounding familiar to her, "Pleased to meet you both. I'm Naruto's sister, Sakura."

Moka beamed, "So it _is_ true! Naruto told us that he was adopted just a little while ago." She walked over to Sakura and extended her hand, "I'm happy to finally meet you, Sakura-san. Naruto has told us a little about you."

"Wow," Sakura laughed a little, "It's not common for me to meet another girl with my hair color." Sakura took the girl's hand and shook it, "Thank you for looking after Naruto for us."

"Heheh, Naruto's pretty good at taking care of himself, actually!" spoke the younger girl, who wore an odd hat of sorts on her head, "He even protected me from a group of bullies one time."

"He did?" Sakura began, "You were being picked on?"

Yukari nodded, "Yeah, I guess I sort of got myself into trouble, but...he helped me out, so it's all good now!" The witch walked over to Sakura and grinned, "Naruto sure is lucky to have such a pretty sister." She inched closer, "Are you dating anyone right now?"

Moka put a hand over Yukari's mouth, "Eheheh, Yukari has a habit of acting silly at times. Please forgive her." She gave the eleven year old a warning glance, to which Yukari simply stuck her tongue out to in response.

Sakura gave a confused look to the witch, who just continued grinning while giggling a bit. She looked to Sai, who simply shrugged his shoulders. Deciding to not delve further on the matter, Sakura instead looked to Moka, "So, was there something you needed? Is it about Naruto?"

"Yes, actually, I was hoping you could tell me when Naruto's birthday is."

Sakura raised an eyebrow; the second person to ask about her teammate's birthday, also a girl at that, "Um, yeah, it's the tenth of October."

"Really? Great, that's more than enough time to plan a party for him!" Moka said with a bit of relief in her voice, "My friend Mizore was actually the one who originally was wondering about his birthday, but I figured we could throw a party for him."

"Mizore? As in Mizore Shirayuki?" Sakura questioned.

"Yep yep! That's her!" Yukari replied, "How do you know her?"

"Well, I actually spent a few hours talking with her. She seems to be good friends with Naruto as well."

"You have no idea." the witch giggled, again receiving a warning look from Moka.

"I see." Sakura turned to Sai, "Any idea where Naruto's been? I haven't seen him since a few days ago when Kakashi-sensei had him sign the adoption papers."

Sai gave a thoughtful expression before sighing, "I don't know, but I also haven't seen Kakashi-sensei anywhere. Perhaps he's with Naruto."

"Kakashi-sensei?" Yukari repeated, "Is he someone who teaches here?"

"No, he's actually an teacher that Sakura and Naruto had." Sai replied, "He's a bit odd at times, but you get used to it the longer you hang around him."

"He's not odd, just aloof." Sakura corrected."

"I think that makes him odd, though."

"Odd and aloof don't go hand in hand, Sai."

"I know, but in Kakashi-sensei's case I think it does."

Sakura frowned, "Hey, don't go calling our adoptive father such things. It's mean."

"It's true though." Sai stated as he turned his attention to the book he had been reading earlier about 'Surviving the Human World For Dummies'.

Sakura rolled her eyes as she looked back to her two visitors, "Anyway, I suppose you two could get together with Mizore and whomever would be interested and then we could plan a party for him."

"Well, we actually have another party coming up soon." Moka stated quietly, "Our friend Tsukune's going to be turning sixteen this year, and we thought we could get him a present at least."

"Yeah, Moka's got a gift picked out, but she's not telling anyone what it is."

"That's because it's a real personal gift, Yukari." Moka replied sounding mildly flustered, "A-anyway, would you be able to let Naruto know?"

"Absolutely." the rosette replied, "I don't know for sure if the two of us and Kakashi-sensei will be able to join you. We'll be leaving in a few days for our new home in Japan."

"Oh, that's too bad." Yukari commented with a pout.

Sakura waved a hand, "Don't worry though; we'll make a few visits here now and then to see Naruto."

Moka and Yukari seemed a bit happier upon hearing this, "That's wonderful," Moka clapped her hands together, "Well, I hate to leave so quickly, but I _do_ have to be somewhere soon."

Yukari leaned close to Sakura and whispered, "She's working on Tsukune's surprise gift."

"Yukari! Shh!" Moka chided, dragging the girl with her, "Well, Sakura-san, Sai-san, it was nice meeting the both of you. I hope we get to speak again before you leave."

The two left, leaving Sakura and Sai once again to themselves in their hospital room. Sai looked up from his book and smiled, "I bet you can guess what that Yukari girl is just by looking at her."

Sakura rolled her eyes, "A witch."

"That was a dead giveaway. Can you guess what Moka is?"

Sakura tapped her chin in thought, "Hm...a naga?"

"Nope."

"Fairy?"

"Not even close."

"Well, I give up. I'm not the one who reads the monster books around here all day."

Sai smiled, "You sure you want to know?"

Sakura didn't like the way Sai asked. His facial expression had that typical fake smile, though she saw the way he seemed to be restraining the desire to laugh. She sighed, "Yeah, go ahead and tell me."

"She's a vampire."

"...that's not funny, Sai."

Sai's smile lessened, "No, seriously. Yukari randomly told me after I mentioned something about vampires in this book I was reading it. She must have let it slip, because she apologized to Moka afterward. Moka didn't seem too upset, and confirmed that she is indeed a vampire."

Sakura blinked once and shook her head, "No way. She was too...too nice to be a vampire. She didn't try to suck my blood or anything."

Sai let out a grunt and placed his bookmark in between the pages of his book before tossing it to Sakura, "Read the pages on vampires. They're not as bad as everyone says they are. Many of them live among humans their entire lives. They often live normal lives, and even have children with other humans."

"B-but, she wasn't anything like the vampires I've seen in-"

"Again, human inaccuracies." Sai stated. Sakura gave the book a look before cracking open the page that held the table of contents.

"Page 117-168...'Vampires: Pride and Coexistence'? What kind of title is that?"

Sai nodded as though a thought came to mind, "That book was actually co-written by several authors. That particular chapter was written by a vampire who gives both sides of the human-vampire relationship issue."

"What's the issue?"

"Read for yourself." Sai said as he got up from his bed, "I'm going to get something to eat. Are you hungry?"

Sakura shook her head, "I'm good for now, Sai."

Sai gave his new adoptive sister a nod before heading out of the room. The kunoichi looked once more to the book in her hands, and with a little trepidation began to read the pages on vampires.

~o~o~o~o~

"_**Kirigakure no Jutsu**_!"

Naruto cursed a bit as his opponent disappeared in a thick shroud of mist. Drawing a single kunai into his hands, the blond closed his eyes and steadied his breathing.

_"Steady, Naruto. He's a pro at being silent. If you let him get by your detection, then it's all over. Just keep your senses open and...crap!"_

Naruto spun around and blocked Kakashi's kunai with his own. Kakashi smirked underneath his mask as he looked into the fierce blue eyes of his former student, "That was fairly good perception, Naruto. You managed to keep a tab on where I was despite the mist. Now...let's see how you fair against this!"

The Jounin went at Naruto once more, a flash of steel coming from either of the two. Naruto and Kakashi were soon at a stalemate with their kunai clashing against one another, both having looks of determination in their eyes.

Naruto's eyes suddenly widened, "How did-?"

Kakashi gave what Naruto could only guess was a rather smug look, "Experience."

Naruto pushed back and spun around once more, only to block another kunai from Kakashi—a Shadow Clone of Kakashi to be exact—and then pulled out three shuriken and chucked them into the air behind him, intercepting another clone that was trying to attack from the blond's blind spot. The real Kakashi engaged Naruto with his clone, and now the young shinobi was forced to combat against to Jounin level shinobi at once.

"Don't tell me this is too much for you, Naruto." Kakashi calmly taunted. If Naruto didn't know any better, Kakashi was actually enjoying himself.

The blond grinned, "I'm just getting warmed up."

Naruto gave the clone a hard push back and followed up with a spinning roundhouse to the neck. The clone burst into smoke upon contact, leaving the original Kakashi left.

"Hm, perhaps two clones wasn't enough..." the silver haired ninja thought, "Ah well, I'll chalk that up to a learning experience then." Kakashi dashed towards Naruto once more, but this time Naruto was prepared.

Naruto blocked a knee before ducking underneath Kakashi's kunai, then flipping back as the Jounin attempted to elbow him in the head. Naruto put a few feet of distance behind him as Kakashi suddenly dispelled the mist jutsu, "Heh, I haven't shown you the half of what I've learned, Kakashi-sensei."

Getting into a new fighting stance, Naruto faced Kakashi fully, knees slightly bent and elbows bent with hands forward and slightly open. The one visible eye of Kakashi's widened a little, showing surprise, "Karate, hm? Let me see if I remember anything from the little bit that I studied."

Naruto watched with some curiosity as his former teacher got into a stance where his knees where bent while his feet were facing a thirty and forty-five degree angle. He corrected his footing a little as well as his elbows and nodded to himself, "Wow, it's been awhile since I've done anything with karate..."

Naruto, for his credit, just grinned, "Heheh, wow, you know karate?"

Kakashi shrugged, "I picked up a little back when I was a young-blood Jounin. Somewhere out in the southern archipelagos of Water Country. I probably don't have as much knowledge in it compared to you, though."

"Haji-taichou says I'm possibly the best first year student the club's had since it first started." Naruto bent his knees a bit more, "Ready?"

"Whenever you are."

The two were quiet for several moments as the late evening wind blew through the trees. The two stared each other down, daring each other to make the first move. Naruto took a step to the side, and Kakashi mirrored his movements while in his stance. The two circled one another in Naruto's small training ground for several moments before they both stopped.

The wind blew a bit longer before it suddenly stopped. As it calmed down, Naruto's muscles tensed for a brief second.

Suddenly he was upon Kakashi, elbow going to the older shinobi's chest. Kakashi blocked and attempted to palm strike the boy to the head. Naruto, instead of blocking, moved his head to the side before lunging forward with a fist.

Kakashi once more blocked, but this time pulled Naruto towards him and successfully kneed him in the gut. Naruto let out a gasp of air before reeling back for a moment and getting into his stance, "Crap, you had me there."

The Jounin waved a finger, "That'll teach you to be so headstrong on offense. I'm no master of karate, but I can improvise." Kakashi dashed forward, startling the blond and forcing him on the defense this time.

Kakashi soon proved his words to be true. He would deliver stiff elbows to Naruto that were blocked, only to switch up his stance a little and give him a rising knee strike to the gut or a spinning backhand to the head. By the time Naruto was finally able to catch onto his old sensei's movements and tactics, he was sporting a few bruises and a sore gut.

Not letting his injuries get to him, Naruto approached Kakashi with a cautious offensive barrage of punches and kicks. The older shinobi proved once more that he was a skilled Taijutsu user, and was blocking the boy's strikes.

"Damn it, you're better than you had me thinking." Naruto grumbled as he backed up a bit, giving the two a short break to breath.

"Being a shinobi at my age isn't just coincidence, Naruto." Kakashi stated, "I spent years learning how to fight with opponents who could negate my Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. While those two fields of ninja techniques are indeed valuable, a shinobi may not have the ability to access his or her chakra in battle."

"Yeah, I know. Even when a shinobi doesn't have Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, they will always have Taijutsu." Naruto stated, repeating the words Kakashi had spoken during their first bell test years ago, "Look, I'm still working on my technique."

Kakashi chuckled upon seeing Naruto get frazzled, "Easy, easy. I'm not criticizing you so much as reminding you of the basics. If you want the truth, you're almost a natural at the style from what I can see. If what your club's captain sees in you is good, then I suppose he's right." Kakashi gave a bow to Naruto, which was returned.

"Well, I think we can call it a night." Kakashi spoke, looking up to the slowly darkening sky, "It's probably close to six by now."

Naruto rolled his shoulders a bit, "Yeah, I suppose. I need to finish up some social studies work for Nekonome-sensei's class anyway."

Kakashi frowned, "You didn't take care of that before we left to train here?"

"Er...no." Naruto admitted sheepishly, "I _did _leave a clone behind to take a look at the schoolwork, but I can't always trust them. They sometimes screw me over and just shirk off their duties. So yeah, I still have to look it over in case."

The Jounin groaned, "What did I say? I said I'll train with you just as long as your schoolwork's done first." Kakashi shook his head, "You cannot neglect your studies, Naruto."

"Oh come on, it's not like I need to learn anything about society or anything like that. I'm already human!"

"Wrong." Kakashi replied, "First off, our world and this other world where people live are different in numerous ways. Knowing their history and the way their society functions will be important should we decide to stay there."

"Fine, fine." Naruto grumbled in defeat, "So, when did you three plan on heading to Japan?"

"In two days' time."

Naruto frowned, "Really? My club has a mock tournament in the human world in a few days. I was kind of hoping you'd be able to show."

"Oh..." Kakashi sighed, "Do you have a schedule for any more of the events for your club?"

The blond gave a nod, "Yeah, I can give you a sheet with the dates if you guys want. I'd love to have you guys show up and see me in action!" Naruto flexed an arm while grinning. Kakashi merely rolled his eyes.

"Okay, hotshot, just get me the schedule tomorrow and we'll do what we can as far as seeing you at your meets. Besides, I'm sure we'll stop by and see you during the Academy's events as well."

The two were soon packed and heading back to the campus area. The walk was quiet for the most part, but Naruto had something on his mind that he wanted to talk about with Kakashi. A few things actually, but he decided to bring out the one that was most important to him at the moment forth.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei? Will we ever return to the Elemental Countries?"

Kakashi continued walking alongside his former student, looking down to him a bit before looking up to the night sky, "I hope that we can do so sooner than later. I myself want to see if there are any survivors from the attack. I know for a fact that Yamato was out of the village with Anko, and I don't think Gai's team was in the village either..." The Jounin sighed, "It's hard to give an accurate time frame on when we can possibly return. You mentioned that you already have some special training with the toads that you're going to undertake in between semesters, right?"

"Yeah, they're going to train me to be a Sage."

Kakashi whistled a bit, "Wow. Naruto, you'll probably end up surpassing your father and Jiraiya-sama before you hit your twenties with the rate you're going."

When Kakashi didn't hear a response from the blond, he looked to see Naruto looking to the ground, "What's wrong?"

Naruto smiled, albeit with somewhat of a somber look in his eyes, "You think that I really can do that?"

"I don't think so; I _know_ so. Jiraiya-sama said so himself, didn't he?" The Jounin put an arm on Naruto's shoulders

"I suppose."

Kakashi nodded, "See? The man was a master of being a shinobi. He was able to peg people usually right off the bat. He saw something in you from the start, even if you were a bit of a dolt in the beginning."

"Ouch, my pride." Naruto chuckled.

"You've grown up though, and shown an exponential growth in your strength since you first started. You think more before you act now when you're in combat, and you acknowledge your weaknesses as well as your areas of prowess. That's a sign of a true shinobi." Kakashi waited a moment for Naruto take in what he was saying before continuing, "The day you bested me in the Rasengan was the day I believed you would someday surpass Minato-sensei. So far, you have yet to prove me otherwise." The Jounin then shrugged, "Who knows; perhaps someday I'll be calling you Naruto-_sama_."

The blond rolled his eyes and let out a bark of laughter, "Thanks, Kakashi-sensei."

The Jounin chuckled a bit while ruffling the blond's head, "Bah, learn to take a compliment with a bit more enthusiasm..." Kakashi tapped his chin before a thought crossed his mind, "You're also probably going to surpass your father in the ladies' department as well. Two girls I met, Mizore and Kurumu I believe, told me that you're a pretty nice guy."

Naruto blushed a bit, "Th-they're just friends."

"Uh huh. Sure." Kakashi spoke in his deadpan voice, hiding the smirk behind his mask, "Your father told me the same thing before he started courting your mother."

Naruto went quiet again for a moment. He seemed to be mulling over something, and just when Kakashi was about to question him, he spoke, "What were my parents like, Kakashi-sensei?"

A bit surprised, Kakashi blinked before settling into a grin, "They were both wonderful people. Jiraiya-sama commented on how you remind him of your father, and Tsunade-sama always said that you took after your mother..."

"What do you think?"

The Jounin shrugged, "I personally think your mother's more a part of you in behavior, but you definitely take after your father in the physical features department. Which is good at your age if your after the attention of the opposite sex."

"I'm more like my mom?" Naruto asked, ignoring the further teasing from Kakashi, "How so?"

"Heheh, Kushina was a spitfire with a peppy attitude. I can hardly recall not seeing a smile on her face. Her grin was contagious, even for me, which is saying a lot." Kakashi sighed, "She also liked calling me Kaka-chan."

"...Kaka-chan?"

Kakashi realized too late the mistake he made with reminiscing his past, "That stays between us."

"Oh, I don't know, I think Sakura and Sai would _love_ to hear about that one."

"Naruto..."

"Yes, Kaka-chan?"

Kakashi leaned close to the blond and spoke in his 'serious' voice, "Don't make me give you a review of the _Sennen Goroshi_."

Naruto paled, gave a quiet apology, and didn't speak another word after that.

~o~o~o~o~

Tsukune was having a hard time doing his readings for tomorrow.

He had gone to see Moka earlier after school. She was taking art classes of sorts. In exchange for modeling for the art teacher, Hitomi Ishigami, the young vampire was receiving art lessons. Tsukune had been curious as to what kinds of lessons she was taking, but the pink haired beauty suddenly got flustered and told him to leave. He did without argument, but now he was having a hard time concentrating on his work. She had been avoiding him quite a bit as of late. She was always talking with the girls, and whenever he approached her she would stop talking and make an excuse before leaving.

_"Maybe she's annoyed with me?"_ Tsukune thought dismally. It wouldn't be that big of a surprise. He wasn't that special; he was just a plain old human. He had no super strength, vast amounts of intelligence, special powers, or anything like that.

Sighing, he dog-eared the page he was on before getting up and getting himself a glass of water. In a few days it would be his sixteenth birthday. He _hoped_ to spend it with Moka, but with the way things were looking for him now...

_Knock knock!_

Tsukune turned to his open door to see Naruto grinning, "Hey, Tsukune. You still haven't gotten that reading done for Nekonome's class?"

Tsukune gave Naruto a weak smile, "Nah, I'll finish it before I turn in for the night." He took in the blond's appearance, "What were you doing, running a marathon? You're drenched in sweat."

Naruto laughed, "Eh, just a little late night running. I have a mock tournament this weekend with my club against another karate club. I have to be in top condition. Haji-senpai's placed me in the top tier for the first years, heheh."

"This weekend? When are you leaving?" Tsukune asked.

"Tomorrow after final period. What's wrong, am I going to miss something?"

Tsukune shrugged, "Not really. It'll be my birthday on Friday, though."

Naruto frowned, "Ah, really?" He leaned against the wall, "You should have told me. I would have gotten you something." He thought for a moment, "Maybe I can get Kurumu to let me take suggestive pictures of her and let you have them."

Tsukune blushed, "Gah, th-that's alright. I'll pass this time, heh."

Naruto shook his head, "Your loss, I guess. Well, I'll make it up to you when I get back. We're going to somewhere in Tokyo, Japan. Maybe I'll get you something while I'm there."

"If you want to. You don't _need _to get me anything, Naruto." Tsukune stated, "I appreciate the thought though."

The blond gave Tsukune a thumbs up, "Don't mention it. You like any kinds of music? Sports?"

"Music? I'm kind of partial to anything, I guess. The more guitar, the better. I like Soccer, too."

The shinobi gave his friend a nod, "Alright, guitar and soccer. Hm...I'll think of something." He looked at the clock on Tsukune's wall, which read eight. He looked back to Tsukune and waved, "Well, I got to go. Mizore's expecting me at her place in half an hour. We're making ice cream, I guess. No clue how she plans to do that, but I'm sure it'll be cool. Later, Tsukune!"

"Later." Tsukune waved goodbye to the blond. As soon as Naruto was gone, Tsukune flopped onto his bed. Naruto; there was a guy who could get a girl to like him. Why couldn't he be more like _him_? The guy had confidence to spare, was athletic, and a natural at listening and making small talk. He was pretty sure Mizore had a thing for him. Moka, Yukari, and Kurumu seemed to mention their names quite a bit during club when the Yuki-onna was out taking pictures for the paper.

Tsukune shook his head; he couldn't be like Naruto. As great of a person the blond was, Tsukune wasn't as outgoing as him. He liked sports, sure, and he didn't mind gym, but he was pretty sure Naruto would mop the floor with him in a game of basketball or soccer.

Staring out his window, he grunted in exhaustion before turning back to his book. He may as well try to finish it. Not like he had anything else to do...

~o~o~o~o~

"I still can't believe that ice cream's that easy to make, Mizore-chan." Naruto stated with childlike enthusiasm, taking another spoonful into his mouth, "This is just like the chocolate ice cream I had back home!"

Mizore smiled as she ate her frozen strawberry flavored dessert, "I'm glad it turned as well as it did. I was worried it'd end up being too icy."

"Yeah...speaking of which, where did you get all the ice for this from? I didn't see you walking from the cafeteria with a bag of ice or anything."

Mizore simply flicked her wrist, causing a few flakes of snow to flutter into the air. A look of understanding appeared on Naruto's features before he laughed with a hint of embarrassment. Of course she'd use her own powers for this.

"So, you have an event with your club tomorrow in the human world, huh?" Mizore asked, taking a spoonful into her mouth and blowing out a small breath of cool air, "I hope you do well."

Naruto laughed, "Eh, it's more or less just to see how well the new members can do in karate against people outside of our club. I'm sure I'll do alright."

The two continued chatting about anything that came to mind; Tsukune's party—which Naruto would unfortunately miss, but still planned on getting a gift for—and the term papers due for class. By the time they had finished off the two small cartons they made, it was close to ten at night.

"Heheh, well, now that I gained all the weight back that I had burned off from running today, I guess I'll be on my way." Naruto joked, earning a giggle from Mizore as well.

"I don't think you need to worry about your body too much as far as staying fit goes, Naruto..." She blushed a bit as he blinked, "I mean, you're in great shape and you're amazing at sports."

"Haha, you sure know how to flatter a guy." Naruto scratched his head, his cheeks turning a bit rosy, "Thanks again for the ice cream, Mizore-chan."

Mizore got up and walked Naruto to the short distance that was between her table and her door, "Yeah. Next time you can make something for us to eat..." Naruto opened his mouth to speak, "Not ramen."

Naruto closed his mouth and grumbled under his breath while the Yuki-onna just smiled, "What's wrong with ramen?"

"Nothing; you just eat too much of it."

"I hardly eat it more than three times a week!" the blond exclaimed.

"Exactly." Mizore stated.

"Yeah, well, how about you and those suckers you have in your mouth all day? Aren't you worried about getting cavities from all that sugar?"

"I brush my teeth." Mizore replied, "Besides, they help keep me cool."

"They do?"

"Yes." Mizore replied as she opened the door for Naruto, "I'm a Yuki-onna. I need to stay cool otherwise the heat's too much for me."

"They can't be that cool, can they?" Naruto asked.

Mizore replied by leaning close and blowing on his neck. Her breath sent a pleasant shiver down his spine, "Does that answer your question?"

"Y-yeah. Wow, it felt like someone placed an ice cube on my neck just now." He grinned as Mizore placed the sucker back in her mouth, "You sure are cool, Mizore-chan."

"I'm just a Yuki-onna." Mizore mumbled, "Thank you though."

Naruto surprised the girl by wrapping his arms around her, "I mean it though. You're a cool friend, and I'm glad I was lucky enough to meet you."

The purple haired teen found herself unable to register what was happening for a few seconds. Naruto...hugging...warm...strong arms...

She couldn't help but close her eyes and rest her head a bit on his shoulders, "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

The shinobi pulled back and let go of her and found his face heating up a bit. Mizore was no different, having a hard time trying to keep the head rush from making her fall over, "I-I better get going. I need plenty of rest for tomorrow."

Naruto left Mizore's after that. As he walked down the hall, he replayed what had just transpired.

_"I hugged Mizore-chan...and she hugged back...and rested her head against me and..."_ It was like the beginning of one of those scenes in Ero-Sennin's books. Only real.

_"She's cute...and...I like her. Maybe..."_ Naruto placed his hands behind his head and grinned.

Maybe he would have to bring back two gifts from his trip to Tokyo.

~o~o~o~o~

Naruto woke up the following day and went about his usual morning ritual. After getting cleaned up, he was out the door and off to class. The day went by rather quickly, he noted, and soon enough it was the last hour of his school day. As the bell rang, he headed off to the gymnasium where he would pick up his uniform and gear before getting on the bus to Tokyo with his club. He was greeted by the other members of the Karate Club as he did so.

"Naruto, you ready for the tournament?"

Naruto waved to one of the upperclassmen members, "Heheh, you bet!"

"Oi, Naruto, be sure not to beat up the other team too much, alright? It's just a spar."

"I'll try!" Naruto laughed as he approached his locker. He picked out his duffel bag and made sure that everything that he needed was there. He headed towards the bus where Haji was waiting for the club. As soon as he spotted Naruto he grinned, "There's our star first year member."

"Well, I wouldn't say that...I still have a lot to learn." Naruto humbly replied.

Haji laughed, "That's true, but the fact that you acknowledge your need to learn more says a lot about you. I'm counting on you to show what we're truly made of, Naruto. You've proven that you're well versed in the basics, and a little of the advanced techniques. Just do your best and you'll be fine."

Haji gave Naruto a slap on the shoulder as he entered the bus. Naruto walked past the drivers seat, but was stopped as a familiar voice caught his attention.

"Heheh, I was wondering when I'd see you again."

Naruto froze in place and turned his head to face the very same bus driver who had driven him to Youkai months ago, "B-bus Driver-san! Wow...um...hi!" Naruto took a step back, the rather eerie glow from the mysterious man's eyes perturbing him a bit, "S-so you're driving us to this 'Tokyo' or whatever, huh?"

"Yes I am. Now go take a seat, the bus will be leaving shortly." the man replied, tipping his brimmed hat down.

Naruto did as he was told, taking one of the seats further back and avoiding looking into the rear view mirror used by the driver.

Oh well. This beat doing algebra homework by far in his opinion.

He looked to Youkai Academy for a few moments. It would be a whole weekend without him to patrol it's grounds. The Arashi-Ninja, who some had come to see as an icon of protection and safety in Youkai, wouldn't be able to protect the school.

Naruto got up suddenly and ran to the front of the bus.

"Something wrong, young man?" asked the bus driver.

"I'll be back. Just give me a few minutes." Naruto replied as he dashed out the bus entrance.

"Fair enough; the bus won't be leaving until all of the members are on anyway, heheh."

Naruto dashed to the wooded area a little way's off from where the bus was waiting. He jumped through the branches of several trees before landing on the ground. He looked around to make sure no one was nearby or watching him and put his hand in a familiar seal. Fifty clones popped into existence right in front of him, all looking to him expectantly.

Naruto then pulled out from his pocket about one hundred seals tied together, "These are the durability seals Ero-Sennin helped us make back when we were training. I...I don't know how well they'll work, but at least you'll all be able to endure more than a single well-placed punch or kick." Naruto pointed to the nearest clone, "You'll be the head guy while I'm gone. If anything happens, I'm leaving you in charge, got it? If I lose any clones, make more. I've put more than enough chakra into you guys, so you should be able to spare a little to make at least a weak Shadow Clone."

"You got it, boss." replied the designated leader of the Naruto clones, "Anything else?"

"Keep an eye on the Student Police Committee. I haven't heard anything on them lately, and it's a bit unnerving. Do the regular patrols at night while I'm gone. I'll dispel you guys when I've returned. I want one of you to dispel every ten hours while I'm gone so I've got an idea of what's going on." He pulled the Arashi-Ninja outfit scroll from his pocket and placed it on the ground. He placed a seal on the clothing before running through a few seals and pressing his right index and middle fingers on the slip of paper. The seal glowed before a giant plume of smoke filled the area.

"That should do it..." Naruto stated as he looked up one hundred outfits like the original. Taking his outfit and resealing it, he pointed to the pile of ANBU attire, "That'll be your wardrobe while I'm gone. The durability seal was placed on those as well, so they'll be able to endure. It'll save you guys the trouble of wasting chakra with a henge."

The clones all gave a nod and began to pick up their clothes. The extras were taken by a few of the clones and placed in sealing scrolls that had come with the replicated suits, "Hey, question over here."

Naruto turned to one of his clones, "Yeah?"

"Do we get breaks?" the clone asked. A few of the clones gave grunts of agreement while some groaned in annoyance at the stupid question. One near the clone smacked him in the back of the head, causing him to dispel before he could place the durability seal on himself.

Naruto gave the clone that hit the dispelled one a flat look. The other clone just rubbed his cheek, "Heheh...oops."

Naruto put his hands together and made a single clone to replace the lost one. The clone joined the ranks and Naruto cleared his throat, "As for breaks; don't spend too much time relaxing. You're in charge of keeping Youkai safe while I'm gone. Alright?"

There were a few grumbles, other gave a simple, "Alright." while others saluted.

Naruto gave one last look to the group before waving them off, "Later guys. Keep Youkai safe for me."

The clones gave their creator a farewell while placing the durability seals on themselves before scattering to put on their ANBU gear and begin patrol.

Naruto was soon back on the bus. He felt a bit more secure with his clones patrolling the area. They may not have the same amount of chakra as he did, but they had his strength and his knowledge. They would be able to at the very least be able to help with minor problems, and provide back up should Tsukune and the girls run into trouble.

About another five minutes found the bus with all of the Karate Club members seated and ready to go. Haji gave a quick roll call to make sure all were present that should be. After confirming with the bus driver that all was good, the vehicle's engine roared before the bus got into gear and took off for the mysterious tunnel leading to the human world.

~o~o~o~o~

"...I think we're clear. Move."

Several shadows dashed through a thicket of trees, making no sound as they hopped from branch to branch. The leader of the group landed ahead of the others and put his hand up in the air while forming a closed fist. The others behind him stopped in place. The leader then held up three fingers and three of the people closest to him moved forward.

"What's up, Yamato?" asked a man with long blond hair that was tied into a ponytail.

Yamato was far from what he was a few months ago. What was once a proud ANBU of Konoha was now a weary man with matted brown hair and eyes showing his exhaustion. The former ANBU looked onward while pointing to a clearing no more than several hundred yards away, "A bandit campsite, from the looks of it. We could get some supplies from there, maybe even food."

The man to his right gave a nod, "Yosh. We can kill two birds with one stone; clean up this ragtag group of ruffians and get food to fuel our bodies. I have no objections."

Yamato smirked a bit, glad to see that Gai was able to keep high spirits despite their situation. The woman to his left gave a toothy grin. Yamato was thankful to have two experienced shinobi to help lead his group, and Tsume Inuzuka's tracking abilities were among the best in the Elemental Nations.

"Well, what do you think? Give the pups a chance to burn off some energy?" Tsume questioned, turning back to the others behind her.

Inoichi Yamanaka, another seasoned Jounin, gave a hum of thought, "Tsume, I don't know if that's the best idea right now. We're all rather tired."

Among the group of survivors from Pain's Invasion that were with the four were Neji Hyuuga, Rock Lee, Tenten, Ino Yamanaka, Kiba and Hana Inuzuka, and Anko Mitarashi. As far as they knew, the eleven of them were the only surviving shinobi of Konoha. They had managed to run into each other by pure chance. Yamato and Anko had been scouting out for Kabuto Yakushi, who was told to be roaming around the lands of the shinobi world some time ago and had gained Orochimaru's abilities. They were in the forest when the massive attack had been launched against Konoha, and by the time they were close enough to see what was going on, the village had been leveled by some unknown power.

The four members of Team Gai were also outside of the village at the time of the attack by one of Akatsuki's most powerful members. They arrived moments after the village was destroyed, and had decided to remain hidden, despite the initial objections from Lee.

The Inuzuka family members were alive purely based on luck as far as they were concerned. They had been on the rooftops of Konoha when the mysterious force blasted down onto the village. They had been knocked off the roof where they had been standing and were luckily not crushed by anything. Hana couldn't' say the same for her three hounds, as well as Tsume's companion Kuromaru. Kiba therefore was thankful to still have Akamaru with him after the attack on their home.

Ino and Inoichi also managed to escape with their lives. They were well protected from the attack by the basement of the one of Konoha's many information gathering facilities. He and his daughter had been peering into the mind of one of Pain's loyalist they had managed to secure thanks to Jiraiya's efforts when he infiltrated Amegakure months ago. They both nearly died when the ceiling above them collapsed, but had survived.

Now they were shinobi without a home or village to claim loyalty to. They were still shinobi of the Hidden Leaf according to their hitai-ite, but said village was nothing but a crater in the earth now.

They knew nothing about other possible survivors aside from Neji mentioning that he last heard that Hiashi and Hanabi were somewhere within Fire Country prior to the attack. He stated that there was a place the Hyuuga could go if something would ever happen to Konoha. The location was a tight-lipped secret though, and Neji would need to contact the two Hyuuga first by messenger bird to verify if they were residing in the designated safe haven.

Returning his attention to the others, Yamato spoke as he looked to the others back further, "...ask them if any of them want to help. I'd rather not risk their safety, but if they feel up to it, the more help, the better. I'm guessing there's about thirty to forty bandits in the camp, including those patrolling the surrounding area. If we can surprise the majority of them in the campground, we'll be able to secure the area and clear the place of them as well."

Inoichi shook his head, "To think we've fallen to such a level."

Yamato frowned, "I'm not a fan of pillaging, even if it's a bandit camp. Still, we're low on food and weapons. We don't have many options."

After a few minutes, it was decided that Gai, Tsume, Yamato, Anko, Kiba and Akamaru, and Neji would lead the initial assault while Lee, Ino, Inoichi, Hana and Tenten would hang back for support in the trees.

As soon as Yamato gave the signal, the six shinobi and one nin-hound attacked. The bandits were caught completely off guard, and few were able to counter the ambush. Those that did were unable to do little more than pull out their blades before receiving a shuriken or kunai to the throat from one of the five hanging back in the tree line.

In little more than ten minutes, the bandits were all killed or incapacitated, though the former seemed to be the state for most of them.

Yamato grumbled as he rummaged through the tents, "There's nothing more than salted pork, stale bread and some dried fruit. Anyone have more luck than me?"

"I found some decent knives we can use." Tenten called out, "They're nothing I'd call combat worthy against shinobi, but...they'll suffice."

"A few pounds of dried beans over here." Neji replied, holding up a large bag, "There's a few bags of rice as well."

"I found some wire we can use for fishing at the creek south of here." Anko stated as she walked out of a tent, "It's not the best, but it can do the job if we need to gather up some extra food."

Yamato smiled; it was a better turnout than he had expected. Some food and a few resources to get them by for a few days' time, "Good. Let's return back to camp and figure out who will be in charge of fishing this time."

Ino groaned, "I am _not_ fishing again! Scaling fish leaves a smell on clothes that last for days! Blech!"

Tenten snorted, "It's not like there's anyone you have to impress here, Ino."

The platinum blond frowned a bit, "Yeah...don't remind me."

Gai felt the sudden drop in the team's morale, and struck a pose, "Come on now! Let's make a contest out of it! First one to catch ten fish gets doesn't have to do patrol tonight!"

Lee, as expected, let out a whoop of joy, "Yosh! A wonderful idea, Gai-sensei! I shall be the first to catch ten fish, or I shall do thirty laps around Kono...ha..." Lee was soon quiet as well. The group made the trek back to the little campsite by the said creek, silence hovering over the group.

Hana, Anko, Inoichi, Neji, Gai, and Tenten had decided to decided to be in charge of bringing in the trout for dinner tonight. Meanwhile, the others did what little they could to keep themselves occupied. Yamato went and gathered some firewood while Lee tended to the cooling embers to get said fire going again. Tsume got water for the one kettle they had managed to find on a previous ransacking of a bandit campsite north of them, and Kiba and Ino were left with preparing the few vegetables they had for dinner.

"Kiba...?"

The Inuzuka boy looked up from slicing a small carrot to the blond by his side, "What's up, Ino?"

Ino was quiet for a few moments, unable to think of what to say. Eventually Kiba lost his patience and nudged her. She blinked before shaking her head, "S-sorry...I was...just thinking..."

"I can see that." He replied with a weak grin, "What's eating you?"

"...do you think that we'll ever see anyone else from Konoha again?"

Kiba opened his mouth to speak, but was surprised to find himself short on words. It had been quite some time since they had run into any other ninja, Konoha or otherwise. As far as they knew, the odds of such a thing happening looked grim, "I...don't know, Ino."

Ino gave a shuddering breath before continuing, "I-I know it's not right as a kunoichi to try and hold onto such stupid hopes, but...well...it's just that I find it hard to believe that we're all that's left..." She shook her head, "There were some people that we have no proof of being dead or not. At least we found Shikamaru and Chouji's...bodies."

Shikamaru and Chouji's deaths had been a devastating blow to the young kunoichi. The two were among the few stable pillars to her life, and when she had seen the two young Chuunin's bodies buried in the rubble, she had simply let the floodgates open and bawled her eyes out.

Kiba placed what he hoped was a comforting hand on her shoulder. He wasn't feeling much better himself. Hinata had been killed; he saw her lifeless body near the Hyuuga estate's ruins. Shino had been found as well among the numerous bodies that he recognized. Kurenai had died too...that had been an especially tragic death for the group with the fact that she was expecting a baby.

Ino and Kiba had lost their entire team. They were at least thankful to still have some of their family left.

Ino leaned into Kiba's shoulder and began to sob quietly, "I...I just wish that...th-that I h-had been there...maybe I could...I could have helped..."

Kiba didn't try to resist when she ended up hugging him a bit. He didn't know what to say; he had never been a master at using his words. He preferred action over word of mouth, in all honesty. Still, Ino was his friend, despite how little they actually knew about each other. They had graduated and grew up in the same rookie Genin group. Those kinds of bonds don't just fade when your a shinobi.

"I...I feel the same, Ino. Hinata and Shino...and Kurenai-sensei. They all were killed too. I was off helping fight the enemy in a different area..." Kiba found himself shedding tears as well.

Lee, who was looking towards the two, sighed sadly, which surprised Kiba a bit, "We have all lost dear friends. I only wish I could have been there to help. I would gladly give my life in exchange for the life of our friends, but-"

"Lee, don't say that..." Ino spoke quietly, looking up, "Our friends wouldn't want that. They would want us to keep living."

Lee blinked before looking down, "You are right. Forgive me for thinking such things."

Ino managed to smile, "It's alright, Lee. Just don't go and think that you deserve to die because you survived the battle."

Kiba gave a nod as well, "Yeah. Besides...we still have allies with Suna. It may not be Konoha, but they would more than likely welcome us to their village."

"You think so?"

Kiba gave a toothy grin, his sharp canines poking out from beneath his upper lip, "Definitely. Right, Akamaru?"

The giant white nin-hound gave a loud bark while wagging his tail before walking over and sitting next to Ino and giving her a friendly lick. Ino laughed a bit before petting the dog, "Thanks, Akamaru."

Lee a clenched fist before speaking again, "I am certain that as long we have faith in ourselves and continue onward, we will do fine!" He turned back to the fire before continuing, "Yosh, let us continue with preparing the fire and food for dinner!"

The other two silently agreed, and continued to clean the vegetables and cut them into smaller portions for the rest of the group.

It may have been a rather bleak situation for the group, but there was one thing they still had, despite all that they had lost; their lives.

**End of Chapter Seven- Nothing like another finished chapter, huh? Well, Naruto's off to Tokyo, leaving Youkai's safety in the reliable hands of his Shadow Clones. Meanwhile, Tsukune's experiencing some sudden and unexpected difficulties with Moka, yet is unable to figure out what the cause of them is. Will he find out? What about the Student Police Committee? What about Mizore and her growing feelings for Naruto, and vice versa? So many questions, so little answered! Ah, such is that of the cruel world of my fanfiction. Well, keep your eyes open for the next installment! Thanks for reading!**


	9. Suspicions Arise

**Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Rosario+Vampire is the property of Akihisa Ikedha. This story is not for profit in any way, shape, or form, aside from gaining wealth in the form of word count...so no money is being made, in other words.**

**Rosario+Jinchuuriki  
Chapter Eight: Suspicions Arise**

"...and the winner of the freshman class division is Uzumaki Naruto!"

Youkai Academy's Karate Club erupted into cheers while they ran to meet up with the victor of the final match for freshman classes. Naruto was sweating a bit, but grinning like it was going out of style. He was holding a ribbon and a small framed certificate with his signature on it.

"Great job, Naruto!"

"Man, I never saw a guy win by so many KO victories before, haha!"

Haji slapped Naruto on the shoulders while laughing, "That was a mighty damn fine performance, Naruto! I think any future contenders against you will be watching for your legs from now on, heh."

The whisker marked blond scratched his head in embarrassment, "Heh, right. I hope that last guy will be alright. I think I overdid it a little..."

"Bah, it was his own fault for not blocking your foot from hitting near his temple. It's a good thing he had the proper headgear on."

Naruto was a bit surprised that he had won the mock tournament. Sure, there was no trophy, but he had proof of his prowess to show the others.

"Naruto..."

Naruto turned to see Haji still by his side. He noticed the other members heading back to the lockers to change before taking a break for the evening before heading back to the Academy, "What's up, Haji-senpai?"

Haji held up a black belt, and Naruto's eyes widened, "It may be a bit earlier than I usually would see fit for a member, but you've proven you're capable in the martial arts today. Congratulations, shodan."

"H-Haji-senpai...are you sure? I mean, I guess I'm alright at this, but...I've only just started karate."

"I wouldn't say that for sure. You definitely have experience in martial arts, and I think I just needed to hone your skills a bit for karate to sink in as well. You learned the style and basics of karate faster than any other member I've ever had join the club while I ran it." Haji placed the black belt within his hands, "You've earned it."

"I...thanks, Haji-senpai."

"Thank _you_ for the awesome performance today, Naruto. You've put Youkai Academy on the map for tournaments earlier than I expected." He headed towards the lockers as well, "Great work today, Naruto!"

Looking down at the belt in his hands, he smiled. The young shinobi was surprised to be given the honor of shodan black belt so quickly. Kakashi said he knew karate as well, yet stated Naruto was probably better than him. Truthfully, Naruto was pretty sure in order to _be_ a Jounin instructor one had to have knowledge in unarmed combat that was equivalent to a sandan. Though if it were _just_ karate, Naruto guessed that Kakashi was probably about equal to Naruto, even if he said otherwise.

Naruto untied his white belt wrapped around his waist and tied on his brand new black one. He picked up his backpack and headed towards the lockers to change.

~o~o~o~o~o~

Naruto walked up and down the small strip mall in the town where the mock tournament had been held. He was looking through the windows of the the various stores, trying to pick out if there was anything worth buying for Tsukune.

He eventually found a small CD shop nestled within the mall, and went inside. It was a dimly lit store, yet provided a nice, comforting atmosphere.

"Hello. Anything I can help you with?"

Naruto looked to the front desk where a young man probably only a few years older than him was sitting. He had a piercing on his eyebrow, and wore a shirt with some weird skull with wings and several doves flying in the background. Naruto quirked an eyebrow, but managed to keep himself from commenting. He instead looked around for a moment, "Yeah, I was wondering if you had any music with...um...lots of guitar."

The employee blinked a few times before laughing, "Dude, you're going to have to be a bit more specific than that. What genre? Classic rock, Metal, Death Metal, Pop Rock? We got a bit of everything here, and then some."

Naruto sighed, "Dang, I was hoping for his to be easy...um..." The blond looked around at the first aisle of CDs and raised an eyebrow, "Wow...they can write those kinds of things on music?"

"Hey, music is art. Why censor it? Then again, there's also edited versions." the employee explained, "So, any idea what you may be looking for?"

"Not really. My friend's birthday is coming up, and I asked if he had any particular taste in music. He said something with guitar. That's it."

"Huh...that's a bit vague, considering a _lot_ of music has guitar. Is he into anything particular?"

Naruto pondered for a moment on the question, "He kind of likes working in the Newspaper club. He's a pretty mellow guy, and I think he'd like something a bit on the quieter side as far as music goes. Not sure though. He also likes soccer, I guess."

"I see...let's try the singer and songwriter section. I can help you there a bit."

About a half hour later Naruto, with the help and guidance of the young employee, picked out a music album of a some random artist he never heard of before. The employee assured him that the songs were easy to listen to, and great for a guy like Tsukune, according to what Naruto had given to him for a description at least.

After that, Naruto found a random sports store and bought a nice soccer ball that apparently was for used in college level soccer games, so that was good enough for the blond. He also happened to pass by a small book store, and bought some heavy book titled _'The World of Science'_ for Yukari, since he figured it'd be nice to get her _something_ as thanks for helping him study for math a few days ago. Seeing as it was wordy as hell, he figured she'd love it.

Then he got a quarter pound of homemade fudge wrapped up for Kurumu, since he assumed she'd probably appreciate homemade sweets, being the great baker and cook that she was. He also got her a small set of cooking ware; a small pot, two frying pans, a skillet, and a sauce pan.

Naruto perused through a small grocery store, and after some deliberation bought a twelve pack of tomato juice for Moka. He was pretty sure she'd like the thought, and it would hopefully offer some small amount of relief for Tsukune as well.

He was pleased to see that he still had a healthy wallet full of money; apparently Konoha's ryo was worth about the same amount as the Japanese yen, and Naruto had plenty of money to throw around with all the mission funds he had saved over the years, plus there was the money left behind by Jiraiya, which he hadn't touched yet.

It was close to the time for Naruto to be heading back to the hotel they were staying at. They would be leaving in about two hours, yet he still had one thing left to do before he headed back.

Finding a gift for Mizore.

He hummed to himself as he stood in front of the entrance of a small jewelry store. Part of him thought of just going down the strip mall to the nice little knick-knack store and get her a nice trinket. He decided against that idea though, seeing as he probably would get something that was either not her taste or something cliché, like a snow globe. Clothing was out of the question; he had about as much fashion sense as Kakashi had blond hair.

"I wish Ero-Sennin was here. He'd at least offer _some_ kind of advice." Naruto grumbled as he took in a deep breath, and walked into the store. The sound of a bell jingled as he opened the door, and a middle aged woman greeted him with a smile.

"Hello, dear. What can I help you with?"

Naruto offered a smile, and gave off the clear vibe of uncertainty, "Hello. Um...I'm looking for something to get for a friend of mine."

The woman smiled, "Girl or boy?"

"Huh? Girl. She's about my age, maybe a little older. She's in my high school...and...well, I mean, she's a nice girl, and I just wanted to get her something nice."

The woman grinned a bit as she walked out from behind the counter, "That's sweet of you. Is she your girlfriend?"

"N-no! Just good friends, that's all."

"Really?" the woman laughed, "If I asked her would she think the same?"

Naruto blushed, "She's just a special friend of mine. I...I don't know what exactly to make of it."

The woman gave a small giggle as she walked over to a glass case full of different sparkling jewelry, "What price range are you looking at?"

Naruto thought for a moment. He could easily go into six digit numbers with the amount of money on him, but he wasn't sure that it would be a good idea to get Mizore something too expensive. He just decided on a number, "Somewhere around six thousand and eight thousand eight-hundred yen?"

"Ah, well, I think this may be the perfect place for you to look then." She pointed to a wide selection of necklaces, some just simple golden chains while others had intricate little pieces of jewelry hanging from them, "These should be within your price range, and on top of that, all of the jewelry here is from an ethical source."

"Ethical?" Naruto repeated, "What do you mean?"

"Ah, unfortunately many diamonds are taken from areas under struggling conditions in the world. Some areas are war-torn, others have internal conflict. Jewelry, especially diamonds, are often mined and often help finance the fighting."

Naruto frowned upon hearing that. He heard of such things happening in the elemental countries as well; civilians were taken captive during wars and mined for metals and diamonds that were used to help armies make more weaponry and make jewelry for various feudal lords.

"That's very good of you to buy non-conflict diamonds." Naruto said.

"Yes, though as a result the jewelry can sometimes be a bit pricier. However," She gave Naruto a knowing grin, "Considering that you seem like a nice, young gentleman, I'll give you a discount. Sound good?"

"Heheh, awesome! Thanks, miss!"

Naruto began to look through the various pieces of shimmering stone and gold. He eventually settled for a small white gold necklace with a circular stone of turquoise hanging on the end with a small snowflake hanging on either side of it by the string of gold. It was a little pricier than he had stated earlier, but the woman had given him a generous ten percent discount, which he thanked her profusely for.

With gifts for all his friends, Naruto made his way back to the hotel, a small spring in his step.

~o~o~o~o~o~

The bus arrived around late afternoon, and the Karate Club members piled out, heading towards the boys' dorms. When Naruto arrived to his dorm room, he dumped his duffel bag onto the floor and stretched a bit. Cracking his neck and back a little, he headed down the hall to see if Tsukune was around so he could wish him a happy birthday and give him his CD and soccer ball. He knocked on Tsukune's door, but received no answer.

"Huh...wonder if he's at the Newspaper Club room..."

Naruto walked back to his room, and picked up the bags of gifts he had gotten for everyone. May as well give the gifts out to everyone else if he was heading to the club room. Opening his window, he looked around before leaping out and onto a tree branch, landing gracefully and hopping down to the ground. He made his way along the road to the main academic building, and within only five minutes time he was heading up the steps to the Newspaper Club's room. He looked in only to find the room empty, much to his disappointment.

"Well where the heck are they then?" Naruto thought aloud. Leaving the room, he headed to Nekonome's office down the hall. He reached it and knocked.

"Come in." came Nekonome's voice through the door. Naruto opened it and was greeted by the smiling teacher, "Naruto, hello! How are you doing?"

"Fine, Nekonome-sensei. I was wondering if you knew where everyone in the Newspaper Club was by chance. I checked the room and it was completely empty." Naruto replied.

"Oh, that's because Tsukune is in the hospital right now."

Naruto nearly dropped his bags, "What? How did he wind up there?"

"Oh, it appeared that Ishigami-san was kidnapping female students and using them as stone statue models. She's apparently a gorgon or so I heard. Anyway, Tsukune was trying to talk to Moka during one of her sessions of art lessons with Ishigami, and the girl was being attacked by her. Tsukune got bitten by one of Ishigami's snakes and was turned to stone, though I guess somehow Moka managed to break the spell on Tsukune-kun and the other students." She smiled, "Rest assured, Ishigami is no longer serving as a teacher here. A shame, really; she was a really great artist."

Naruto cursed under his breath; his clones should have told him about this! Where were they at a time like that?

"Huh, you think the Arashi-Ninja would have shown up."

"Oh, well, it all happened indoors, and considering the fact that the Arashi-Ninja tends to stay outside of the faculty buildings, he probably didn't know. That's what some of the students guessed at least. He's been gaining quite a bit of popularity though. Two students found their missing take-home exams thanks to him, and he also helped a girl from being attacked by some wild plants in the forest."

"No kidding..." Naruto said, "Well, thanks Nekonome-sensei. I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Goodbye, Uzumaki-kun!" Nekonome called back as the blond disappeared around the corner.

Within a few minutes, Naruto was making his way down the hospital wing. He received directions to Tsukune's room where he was being cared for from the nurse at the front desk, and quickly reached his destination.

Naruto gave a quick knock to see if Tsukune was awake. If he was sleeping, he'd rather not wake him. The doorknob jiggled a bit before opening, revealing Yukari, "Naruto! You're back!"

"Hey, Yukari-chan. Is Tsukune alright? I found out from Nekonome-sensei after I stopped by and you guys weren't at the club room."

Yukari shrugged, "It could have been worse, I suppose. Tsukune-kun's alright, but he's a bit weak right now. Moka went all super-mode on Ishigami-sensei and beat the stuffing out of her. Mizore and Kurumu arrived with me right when Moka finished her off. That was about two days ago, though."

"Huh...well, I'm back!" Naruto walked in, and was greeted by the other three girls.

"Hello, Naruto-kun. Sorry we didn't leave a note for you to find us. We were just stopping by to see Tsukune." Moka began, "He just woke up a little while ago."

"Yeah, I heard the story from Nekonome and Yukari." He shook his head, "What's up with the teachers around here, huh? First that Kotsubo jerk and now the art teacher."

"Well, if you ask me, she got off easy." Kurumu began, "Moka cracked her once on the head with an ax kick and that pretty much ended it.

"I would have liked to freeze her." Mizore added before looking to Naruto, "How did your mock tournament go?"

"Hm? Oh, it went pretty well. The guys thought I did alright, at least."

"Good to hear that everything went well, Naruto." Tsukune said, "Hey...is that a black belt you're wearing?"

Naruto looked to the belt around his waist still, and laughed, "Oh, heheh...yeah, I guess so. I just kind of put it on when the guys asked me about it on the bus ride home. Never took it off since then, heheh."

The group went quiet for a moment before Mizore spoke, "Naruto's a black belt now...wow..."

Kurumu grinned, "I bet the girl's will be all over you now!" She laughed when Mizore gave her a weak glare.

"Heh, who knows, right?" Naruto lifted up the bags in hand, "Hey, I got you guys some stuff, including you, Tsukune. Happy birthday!"

Tsukune pulled out the soccer ball and grinned, "Nice! Thanks, Naruto! Oh, there's something else here too?" He took out the CD, "Huh...can't say I ever heard of this artist before. What style of music is it?"

"Don't know, the guy at the store said it was 'chill'. Whatever that means. Lots of guitar though."

Tsukune gave a nod, "Well, either way, thanks, I appreciate it a lot, Naruto."

Naruto gave a nod before handing the pack of tomato juice to Moka, "Here you go, Moka. Don't drink them all at once, heheh."

Moka beamed, "Thank you, Naruto-kun! You didn't have to get me anything..." She gave him a hug before opening the pack of juice cans and cracking one open before drinking it happily.

Yukari happily accepted the gigantic book, glomping Naruto and saying that he was the best friend anyone could ever have. Kurumu gave Naruto a hug as well, smiling up at him and giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

"So, did you get anything for Mizore?" Kurumu asked knowingly, "Saving best for last, huh?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck and handed the small box to Mizore, "It's just a small little gift. Hope you like it. The lady at the store said it was the right stone for your birthday, I think. Figured you'd like the design and all..."

Mizore opened the tiny box, and her eyes lit up, "Naruto...this..." She went silent, then looked up to Naruto, "Naruto-kun..thank you..." She walked closer to Naruto and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek before slipping it around her neck over her other necklace that she had on, "It's beautiful."

"Naruto and Mizore, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-ow! Kurumu, that hurt!" Yukari spoke, snapping Naruto and Mizore out of their own little world. They both blushed while Kurumu just smiled, holding Yukari in a headlock.

"Well, I better get going." Naruto said, "Just thought I'd stop by and make sure everything is alright."

The other all bid Naruto farewell. As soon as the blond left, Kurumu was by Mizore's side, "Oh wow...that's a beautiful necklace...white gold, it looks like and...ohhhh, that's so cute! Look at the little snowflakes!"

Mizore was blushing a deep red, "I...I'm kind of embarrassed. He didn't have to get that for me."

"I think Naruto's just the kind of person who would do something though for someone he cares for. While he did get all of us gifts..." Moka began, pointing at her necklace, "...he clearly put a _lot_ of thought into yours."

"Does...this mean that he wants to go out with me?" Mizore said just above a whisper, "I...what if I'm not taking this the right way? If it's just a gift..."

"Oh, stop worrying so much. You should go for it anyway, Mizore." Kurumu stated, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, "He obviously thinks of you as more than just a friend. Maybe you should be the one to see what will become of that, hm?"

Mizore mumbled a few words that Kurumu couldn't hear, said a quick "Goodbye." to her friends, and dashed out of the room. Kurumu smiled triumphantly as the door closed.

"They grow up so fast..." The Succubus shook her head.

Mizore managed to catch up with Naruto, "H-hey, Naruto. Hold on."

The blond turned to the Yuki-onna, smiling, "What's up, Mizore?"

Mizore fidgeted for a moment before speaking, "Well, if you...you have nothing going on this coming weekend, um...do you want to go have a picnic with me? I'm not that good at baking or anything, but I can make some things for us to bring."

Naruto gave a thumbs up, "A picnic? That sounds great, Mizore-chan! I'm all for that, heheh. I'm sure the others would like it, too!"

"W-well, I was actually wondering if...could just be the two of us that go?" Mizore smiled as Naruto blushed, "Maybe...call it a date?"

"D-date?" Naruto repeated. He scratched his cheek and reddened a bit, "Y-yeah, sure! A date it is!"

"Good. Let's meet at the hill near the track where they have the sport meets. It'll be empty on the weekend, so no one should bother us." Mizore continued, "I'll see you tomorrow then."

She quickly gave Naruto another kiss on the cheek, this time a little longer than before. She smiled cutely as Naruto just laughed, his cheeks a bit rosy as he scratched his head, "Later, Mizore-chan."

The Yuki-onna walked down the hall at a quickened pace, looking over her shoulder every couple of steps to see Naruto heading down the hall in the opposite direction back to his dorm. Right now, her stomach was doing cartwheels and she felt like her chest was going to burst. A date! Sure, it wasn't that big of a deal, but still, it was a date! It was just a picnic, but it'd be just the two of them.

_"I hope I can figure out how to make some miso ramen before this weekend..."_ She thought as she headed home.

~o~o~o~o~o~

Naruto headed back to his room briefly before leaving once more (through the window) and headed off to the forested area near the dorms. He stood on a tree branch, and gave three shrill whistles. Several seconds passed before about seven clones appeared before him, all decked in their Arashi-Ninja attire, "Hey, boss. How was the tournament?"

"It went well. Hey, you guys hear about the incident with Tsukune and the others involving that Ishigami or whatever?"

The group of clones all gave nods, and one spoke up, "Yeah, we would have taken a small group and helped if we knew. It was inside though, and the last thing we need is to be walking around in the school after hours. It'll likely cause problems."

Naruto gave a sigh, "Yeah. I'm chalking that up to circumstances beyond my control. Anything else to report?"

"Nothing big." replied another one of the clones, "We're all still here, considering the fact that no memories that aren't originally ours popped into our head."

"Right. Well, job well done then. Dismiss yourselves and the other clones will do the same. Hopefully they won't all do it at once."

The seven gave a salute before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Naruto was suddenly hit with memories that weren't his. He cursed as he felt several more clones dismiss themselves, then more.

"Damn it...I thought they'd get the hint...and not dismiss themselves all so soon..." He gripped his head in pain before looking around, "Better get home before I pass out."

Normally Naruto wouldn't be affected by fifty clones dismissing themselves, but this was different; the clones had existed for about two days now thanks to the durability seals he had placed on them.

Groaning in pain while holding his head with a hand, Naruto walked through the woods, hoping that the pain would subside. He stopped and leaned against a tree for a moment, rubbing his temples as he did so.

_Fwooosh!_

Naruto instinctively jumped away from the tree, and rolled several times while taking a look at the tree. It was covered in a thick webbing of sorts. He looked around, and wished he hadn't been so careless to not bring any weapons in a sleeve or pocket when he went to see Tsukune and the others.

"Alright, show yourself. I can sense your youki, even if it's barely traceable." Naruto called out.

"Heheh...to think that all this time that you were associating with the Arashi-Ninja." spoke a voice. A figure slowly descended down from the canopy, holding onto a string of what appeared to be the same sticky webbing on the tree where Naruto had been standing, "I am Keito, a member of the Police committee of Youkai Academy. Naruto Uzumaki, I'm placing you under arrest for violation of school rules. You've not only caused problems with defying the orders of the Public Safety Commission involving the incident with the school newspaper, but you've gone and decided to become an associate of that pathetic vigilante."

"I think pathetic is a bit off, don't you? I've heard more good things about what he's done compared to what I hear about _your_ little clique." Naruto retorted, realizing that his cover wasn't blown entirely. She must have thought that he was merely speaking to clones of the Arashi-Ninja, not realizing they were his own. She probably didn't hear all that he had said to them as well, which he was thankful for.

"You little..." the woman growled, "You think we go and look for attention? We're just maintaining the order around here."

"Uh huh, I picking up the faint scent of bullshit right now." Naruto retorted, "I've heard stories about you guys; arrests based on little if any evidence, accepting bribes, abuse of power...you're just a typical group of individuals that's been given too many exclusive privileges, that's all."

The girl gave another growl, and her midsection transformed. She began to sprout long, spindly legs from her now spider-like body, and her mouth began to form jaws not unlike that of an arachnid's, "How _dare_ you! This academy is just a grouping of monsters that's only held together because of _us_!"

Naruto just shook his head, "You really ought to listen to public opinion more often. Most of the students around here are fairly well-behaved. It's the few that make it look chaotic. Most of the students here think you're just a bunch of jerks. Maybe if you started listening to the public a little more, you wouldn't have as much trouble with them, right?"

In response to his statement, Keito shot out a few more strings of webbing. Naruto flipped back several times, dodging the thread with relative ease. He jumped into the trees, and the forest became silent.

"Damn him, where did he run off to?" Keito growled, "You can run, but no matter what, I can still smell you, Uzumaki! In fact..." She grinned, "...you almost smell like a human..."

"I guess my disguise is pretty good then, isn't it?"

Keito looked up in time to have a foot smash into her face. She screamed in pain while flying into a tree. Naruto landed silently and got into a fighting stance, "Even if you manage to reveal who I am, you have no proof to back it up. I can simply state that the Police Committee is trying to force me to leave the Academy because I'm standing up for myself." He grinned, "You have nothing on me, admit it."

"Shut up! Once I've got you tied up in my thread, I'll haul your sorry ass to Kuyou, and we'll _make_ you tell us the truth!" Keito snapped, "Now hold still!" The spiderwoman shot out more strands of sticky thread at the blond, intent on holding him in place.

Naruto quickly rolled to the side, jumping off a tree trunk and flipping over Keito. The spiderwoman was caught off guard by his amazing acrobatics, and never had a chance to try and dodge him as he landed hard on her abdomen. She screamed in pain as she felt several ribs crack under the pressure of his hard landing.

The blond flipped back a few times to put some distance between the two of them, but noticed she had been disabled for the moment. Naruto walked up slowly to the spiderwoman, who was glaring daggers at him, "You going to finish me off then, huh?"

"I should, but I don't believe that will be necessary. No need to cause further problems for myself by being accused of killing a student, right?" Naruto replied, the usually kind and warming tone gone from his voice. This was Naruto Uzumaki, the battle-hardened shinobi, talking, "I'm going to warn you only once; you can tell this to Kuyou too, if you want. I'm sick of how you're treating the students around here. The Newspaper Club has done _nothing_ wrong, and most of the kids around here hate living with the shadow of the so called Public 'Safety' Commission looming over them. Either you get your act together and start taking your jobs seriously, or we're going to have problems."

"You have no right to tell us how to do our jobs!" Keito snarled, lunging forward with one of her spider legs. Naruto caught the leg and gripped it tightly.

"You're not getting it, are you?" He squeezed tightly, causing her to wince in pain, "I have no grudge or vendetta with you, and I'm willing to forgive and forget if you will too." He dropped her leg and walked off, "Keep what I told you in mind, though. Either you guys get your self straightened out, or the next time something bad happens I'll make sure it's dealt with properly." He stopped, and turned around, "Oh, and by the way, all that fighting was self-defense. Just so you know. I saw about six different openings in your attacks that I would have let me deal some serious damage to you."

With that, Naruto jumped off into the woods, leaving Keito injured and by herself. She glared at the spot where Naruto had leaped off from, and dug her two human hands into the soil. Naruto Uzumaki would pay for what he did! No one made a fool of her like that! No one!

~o~o~o~o~o~

The next day came without any repeats of last night's incident for Naruto. He had a rather splendid day for the most part, managed to make a great tasting pasta dish with Kurumu for Home Economics class, and managed to get a B in a Human Studies test.

Naruto decided to pay a quick visit to the public access computer lab in the boys' dorm that night. He had a paper he needed to research for and type up—much to his chagrin, since he was horrible at typing—and decided to get a head start on it. He managed to log on to his student account and when he got online, noticed a little icon was lit up in the upper right corner of his window.

"New e-mail...huh..." Naruto spoke out loud and clicked on it. He didn't recognize the e-mail address, but the little title made him break into a smile.

'Hi, Naruto! It's Sakura! We got a computer!'

Clicking on the little attachment icon that was also lit up, he was surprised to see another window appear on the computer screen. A little loading bar appeared, and about half a minute later, an image of Sakura appeared on the screen.

"Are you sure this web camera's working, Kakashi-sensei?"

"The manual says the green light thingy means it's working...Sai, what are you-?"

The image of Sakura moved a bit before Sai looked into the screen, apparently holding onto the web cam, "I think it's on..." He looked at what must have been the green light, "Yep, it's on."

Kakashi's voice could be heard off screen, "Well, then put it back down before it breaks. We only have so much money, and the last thing we need to do is break something expensive..."

The scenery blurred for a moment before it was set back to face Sakura. The rosette smiled before speaking, "Hi, Naruto! Hopefully you get this. We got a new house, and it's just outside of the mountains in this place called Japan! See?"

She sat up and moved the camera to what appeared a window looking outside. Naruto could make out patches of green, tree covered mountains, and couldn't help but think of Fire Country as he took in the scene. The camera then moved back to Sakura, who now had Kakashi standing behind her waving.

"Well, aside from that, I've got a job lined up at a comic book store, they sell manga there...it's a bit cramped there, but the place was looking for work and I like organizing things, so it should be good for now."

Kakashi gave a nod, "Yeah, that and I'm thinking of opening up a little trinket shop or something as a side job while we get to publishing the Icha Icha series. Sakura's already read the first two books, and was really loving-oof! Okay, okay, never mind. No need to hit, Sakura."

Sai's face suddenly came into view, taking up the screen, "Hello, Naruto."

"Sai, you're blocking the rest of us."

Sai turned to Sakura, "Oh, sorry." He backed up a bit, "I found a nice place to work on my artwork. It's a bit hard using my other hand for drawing, but I'm getting better. I think I may try to apply to an art school when I get more experience in. They use something called 'graphic design', and apparently Kakashi heard that you can make lots of money with that stuff if you're good at it."

The artistic shinobi stood back while Sakura looked back to the camera, "Yeah, we're all doing great in Japan, Naruto. Hope you're doing well, too. You just let us know if you need anything, alright? We're family, and that means we take care of each other."

Kakashi placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder, "That's right, Naruto. You mean a lot to us, just so you don't forget. Keep in touch, and if you ever want to get in contact with us, our information should be on the e-mail we sent. Our new address, phone number, and other stuff is there for you. By the way...I opened up a savings bond for the three of you, so that should help you all later on."

"Alright, well, I have to get going soon. My first day of work starts today, and Kakashi-sensei's going to try and see if he can get his little side-business started."

"By the way, Naruto, can you mail us the third copy of Icha Icha by chance?"

"Kakashi-sensei..." Sakura sighed. She shook her head before looking to the camera again, "Bye, Naruto!"

Sai and Kakashi waved goodbye as well, and the screen went black.

Naruto smiled while feeling pricks of moisture irritating his eyes. They were doing well. That meant more than he could put into words right now. He saved the e-mail to his folder, and wrote down their contact information. He'd have to see if he could find Icha Icha Tactics sometime soon. No doubt Kakashi _and_ Sakura wanted to read it.

Cracking his knuckles, Naruto hunkered down on the chair he was sitting in and set to work with his research. It would be a long night for him, but with the good news from his new family in Japan, and a date around the corner with Mizore in the back of his mind, nothing could bring his spirits down.

~o~o~o~o~o~

"Alright, please pass your papers forward if you would. I'll grade them and return them. Be sure that any citation information you used is attached as well on the separate page that I instructed you to type it on."

Mizore turned around, "Naruto, what did you do your paper on?"

"...zzzz..."

"Naruto?" Mizore smiled a little as she saw the blond holding his paper in one hand while resting his head on the other, "Naruto, wake up."

"Nnn...but I already summoned a toad, Ero-Sennin..."

Mizore held a hand to her mouth and took his paper and the small pile from the student behind Naruto before bringing them forward. Naruto must have been up all night if she knew him well enough. He likely took forever with typing; he was still learning the basics, and likely spent more time getting the words onto the paper than researching itself.

Nekonome took all the papers and placed them on her desk. She was about to begin with her lecture for today when there was a knock at the door. She opened the door and was greeted by Kuyou and two other Police Committee members, "Good morning, Nekonome-sensei. I wish to speak with Uzumaki-san, if you would."

Nekonome frowned, "Nya? Right now? What's the problem?"

Mizore quickly turned around and blew a chilly breath on his face. He scrunched his face up before blinking several times while gaining his bearings, "Hmm? What's happening?"

"Naruto, you're to go with Kuyou-san. It's in relation to an incident with one of the members of the Public Safety Commission."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, acting ignorant, "Really? Well, alright..." The shinobi stood up, offering a quick smile to Mizore, Moka, and Tsukune, who all were showing the same worried look upon their faces.

When Naruto reached the door, he gave Kuyou a toothy grin, "Hi there, Kuyou! Glad to see you're doing well. Hope you're still not bent out of shape about that little scuffle we had during the release of the first issue of the school newspaper."

Kuyou didn't share the same enthusiasm, "Uzumaki-san, come with us."

"Alright, lead the way." Naruto spoke, his voice as chipper as ever. With that, the three Police Committee members escorted Naruto out of the classroom. Nekonome watched the boy leave for a few more seconds before shutting the door, "N-now, where was I? Oh, right, human technology. Well, humans have been inventing since as long as they have-"

Mizore wasn't paying attention anymore. Naruto was just taken out of the classroom by three members of the Public Safety Commission, and it didn't sound like it was for a good reason on Naruto's part. Tapping her finger several times, she began to chew a bit on the stick her sucker was attached to. She eventually cracked the hard candy in her mouth, and unwrapped another one and absentmindedly took another one out of her school bag and put it in her mouth, all the while looking at the door Naruto had exited from.

_"Naruto...I'll find out where you are as soon as I can..."_

Meanwhile, Naruto was heading down the steps of the Academic building, humming a tune while the other three accompanying him were silent as the stone walls lining the corridor they were walking down.

"What's the reason behind you taking me away from class. I'd like an explanation."

"..."

Naruto grimaced, "Well, you going to tell me?"

Still no response.

"...so, any of you read any good books lately?"

"..."

Naruto frowned, "Not into reading, I take it?" He shrugged, "Eh, to each their own. Personally, I'm a fan of action and adventure novels, though I've got this one series that's kind of romantic with a bit of-"

"Uzumaki-san, I suggest you keep your voice down. We're entering the prison wing of our headquarters, and it's best to keep the volume down unless you wish to stir awake the imprisoned."

"Yeesh, you guys have a prison too? Man, you're only missing the torture chamber and you'd make for a classic evil organization, don't you think?"

Kuyou turned around, a smirk on his face, "We have one of those, too."

The blond's eyes widened a fraction before he laughed, "Heh, why am I not surprised?"

The doors before them opened, and they were soon within the cell block of the Public Safety Commission's headquarters. Naruto took note of the numerous cells that had students within them. A few of them glared at the four passing by, others looked terrified, and others didn't even appear to be aware of their presence.

"Oi, let me out of here! I haven't broken any laws or done anything bad! You guys took away my camera and confiscated my filming gear! I'm a member of the photography club and I demand that-"

"Silence!" Kuyou snapped, and quickly thrust a fist between the bars, knocking the student in the face and causing him to hit the back of the cell wall. He slumped over, and appeared to be out cold.

"That was overkill." Naruto grumbled, "You really ought to take a moment and few deep breaths or something." He looked around, and noticed a few of the imprisoned students looking up, "Stressing yourself out over things like that isn't good for you."

Kuyou glared at the blond, his calm features gone, "Either you keep that mouth shut or we'll force you to."

The blond felt like testing that challenge, "Then tell me-"

The two other Police Committee members moved to take down Naruto. The whisker-marked blond caught the first guy by the hand and elbowed him in the sternum once before throwing him onto the other student. While the one that had been struck was struggling to get up, the other quickly got to his feet and began to grow in size, likely transforming into his true self. Naruto wouldn't give him a chance, though. He quickly dashed forward, palm thrusting him once in the gut. The Police Committee member let out a gasp of air, and lurched forward in pain. Naruto grabbed him by the head and gave him two quick knee strikes before leaping over him and kicking him with his heel, sending him to the floor.

The prisoners began to erupt into cheers, a few even calling his name upon seeing his face. Naruto looked to Kuyou, who remained in place and unwavering, despite the two being taken down, "Now, as I was saying, Kuyou, before those two interrupted, tell me why I'm being taken down here."

The head of the Public Safety Commission narrowed his eyes, "You've been reported by one of the members of our committee to have been associating with the Arashi-Ninja."

"So?"

"That means that you're likely a supporter of him, and he's a vigilante with no official title to uphold the law here. He's therefore no better than a lawbreaker who believes they're doing what they deem right. If he's left unchecked, he'll likely cause others to do the same, and thus take away the order we have managed to keep within Youkai." Kuyou explained, "So...tell us who this Arashi-Ninja is. What is his real identity?"

"How should I know? He wears a mask." Naruto replied. He hadn't lied, technically; he was just asking a question.

"Yeah, the Arashi-Ninja's got to keep his identity secret to avoid scumbags like you!" shouted a student. Kuyou lifted a hand, and Naruto felt a sudden intense heat fill the area. He reacted on instinct, and swatted Kuyou's hand upward. A fireball flew out of Kuyou's palm, and smashed into the wall, leaving a scorched mark on the stone surface, some of it even melting off.

"Did you seriously intend on firing something like _that_ at a prisoner?" Naruto growled, his voice low and cold as ice, "You really are a sick bastard."

Kuyou's blond hair seemed to wave around briefly before he closed his eyes, regaining his composure, "It would be in your best interests if you cooperate with us, Uzumaki. Going against us tends to lead to bad results. So, tell us...who is the Arashi-Ninja?"

Naruto just shrugged, "Some guy in a ninja outfit, what else? I don't know."

"You're lying. I can tell." Kuyou began, "Keito has stated that she witnessed you speaking to the Arashi-Ninja in what appeared to be a very familiar manner."

"Yeah? Maybe I was just thanking him for doing such a damn good job when the actual 'police' force can't do their job."

Kuyou's frown became more evident, and he snapped his fingers. Naruto heard the sound of an object flying through the air, and leaped away, only to find himself face to face with Kuyou. The head of the Public Safety Commission caught him and threw him to the ground. Naruto was surprised by the amount of force he felt from Kuyou, but managed to rise to his feet quickly. However, he had no chance to react as a sticky thread caught a hold of him. He grumbled as the strings of thread began to wrap around him. He channeled chakra into his body, but before he could summon enough power to free himself by force, he felt a sharp pain in his neck. He managed to turn his head slightly to see Keito taking her fangs out of his flesh.

"H-how...?"

"We planned this out, Uzumaki. We were correct in assuming you wouldn't help us. So, we decided we'll take you down by force." Kuyou began as Keito joined his side, spider like eyes looking at him with a predatory gleam in them, "As I speak, Keito's poison is running through your body, but it's only paralysis of the muscles."

"It's unfortunate; I wanted to kill him..." Keito began with a snicker, "Your lucky that we want you alive, Uzumaki."

"I..." Naruto tried to move, but instead fell face first onto the floor, "...'amn...it..."

Soon only Naruto's eyes and diaphragm were moving, the occasional breath being exhaled. He glared at the two as Keito picked him up, laughing at his vulnerability.

"Throw him in the interrogation chamber. We'll get him to speak, one way or another." Kuyou spoke, his taunting smile returning to his features, "You'll regret having not cooperated with us, Uzumaki."

There was a wave of jeers from the imprisoned, shouting to release Naruto, but Kuyou simply ignored them. He continued behind Keito towards the 'interrogation' chamber, thinking of how to get Naruto to confess the truth without killing him. It'd be difficult, but he'd find a way.

~o~o~o~o~o~

"I want to know where Naruto Uzumaki is."

"I said it twice now, it's none of your business." grumbled the Police Committee member sitting behind the headquarters' front desk, "Now get out of here before I have to force you to. We don't have time to deal with stupid questions like yours."

Mizore locked gazes with the male behind the desk, her eyes as cold as steel. She didn't flinch as he stood up, growling a bit. Kurumu, Moka, Yukari, and Tsukune, who were standing behind her, all looked rather miffed as well. It had been one whole day since Naruto had been taken by the Student Police, and they were starting to get worried. As was the case, Mizore decided to find out for herself what was going on.

"Why was he taken in by the Public Safety Commission?" Kurumu asked, "Naruto's nothing but kind to other students here. He's done nothing wrong!"

The committee member stood up from his chair, growling as he did so, "What part of 'get out of here' don't you idiots understand? This is your last warning before-"

"Kamaji, I'll take care of things from here."

Kamaji, or so the boy was named, froze in place for a moment before bowing, "Ye-yes, Kuyou-san."

Kuyou walked out from a room behind the desk, "Ah, you're the members from the Newspaper Club. What seems to be the problem here?"

"Where's Naruto Uzumaki?" Mizore repeated, "I know he's here, and you wanted to speak to him about something relating to another member of the Police Committee."

"He's currently being questioned." Kuyou replied tersely, "Now, is there anything else. I'm very busy."

Before anything further could be said between the students, a short female member of the committee walked out of the door that Kuyou had exited. She walked up to Kuyou and whispered something in his ear. He raised an eyebrow, "Right now?"

"Yes, Kuyou-san."

"I see." Kuyou looked to the students before him, "I must attend to other duties. I suggest you leave if you have no further business here."

The sucker stick in Mizore's mouth snapped as she turned on her heel, quietly leaving the headquarters. Yukari looked to the Yuki-onna, then to the other three, "We should go..."

"Naruto's still in there though." Kurumu protested.

"Well, it's not like they'll let us through there either way." Tsukune grumbled, "We'll just have to wait." He looked rather upset as he spoke, but he was right. There were no other options that wouldn't make there situation worse aside from enduring for now.

~o~o~o~o~o~

Kuyou stood in front of a chair that Naruto was tied to. He was sporting a few bruises, a swollen eye, and a few burn marks on his arms and torso. He had a defiant look in his eyes as he glanced up at Kuyou, who was bearing down on him with a look that could kill.

"Uzumaki, I have a question for you."

"Really? I thought you were just appeasing your sadist needs with me." Naruto replied, "Let me hear it. I may actually pretend to give you a straight answer instead of ignoring you."

Kuyou made no indication of being offended, "Is it true that Tsukune Aono is a human?"

Naruto managed to school his features into a look of annoyance, "Tsukune Aono? The guy in my homeroom class? Are you serious?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Uzumaki. I have numerous sources indicating you know Tsukune Aono well. He was on the same bus that arrived here with you, and you live in the same dorm, on the same floor, in the same wing. That and you're friends with all the other members of the Newspaper Club." Kuyou stated, "Your charade won't work on me."

"Awww, you're no fun anymore." Naruto replied with a smirk. He was given a swift kick in the gut before his chair fell on its side. The blond let out a pained laugh, "Damn, that one smarts! Haha, you're getting better, Kuyou. You hit a bruised spot that time, heheh."

Kuyou hefted Naruto up by the collar, chair rising up with him, "You're really pushing it, Uzumaki. We have a source that says Tsukune Aono is indeed a human." He smirked as Naruto groaned a bit from being jostled around so much, "Now...tell me if he is a human. You're already in enough hot water with-"

Naruto spit a gob of blood at Kuyou. The stoic blond closed his eyes and exhaled, "I see. Very well, if you won't help us, we'll just put you in solitary confinement."

Three student police officers walked out from the back of the room and took a hold of Naruto. They snapped restraints around his arms before cutting the ropes that bound him to the chair. He was then dragged off without another word.

"I sure hope your information is right, Ishigami. It's bad enough that I'm allowing you to be here with the recent happenings involving you."

A feminine laughter was heard from the back of the room, and Hitomi Ishigami stepped out of the shadows, "Oh, believe me; Aono is a human. He's got no powers as far as I can tell, and he relied on that Moka Akashiya girl to protect him. If anything, she was _protecting_ the boy, which if I remember correctly is also against school policy, correct."

"...if that is true, she is just as much of a lawbreaker as Tsukune. I'll see to it that this matter is looked into, but you are to not involve yourself with me any further aside from dealing with Akashiya-san, is that understood?"

"Yes, perfectly." Hitomi replied with a grin, "Just leave the girl for me."

Kuyou gave her a stern look, saying nothing further before leaving the room. He had to go about getting Tsukune Aono apprehended. If there really was a human in their midst, it would be a problem if such information was leaked out to the student populous. It was Kuyou's duty to maintain the peace in the school grounds. For that, he was willing to do whatever was necessary. Even killing a vampire or human, if such measures were needed.

~o~o~o~o~o~

Tsukune sat in the Newspaper Club room with the others, the feeling of gloom evident in the air. Yukari was trying—with little success—to write up an article on good studying habits while Kurumu was merely sulking by the young witch's side. Mizore was standing at a window, looking out it every so often. There was a noticeable difference in temperature if one walked over to her, so the others thought it was a good idea to give her some space.

Moka, who was cracking open a can of tomato juice from Naruto, drank it down rather quickly before tossing it in the recyclable bin, "I hope Naruto's alright..."

Tsukune gave a nod, "Yeah. He sure seemed fine when he left earlier today though."

"That's because Naruto would rather fake confidence than have us worry about him." Mizore spoke, surprising everyone else, "Naruto-kun's strong, but he still can get hurt like anyone else. He just tries to hide it."

The silence that fell over the area was deafening almost. Yukari gave a barely audible sigh before closing her laptop, "What can we do, though?"

The door to the room opened suddenly, alerting the others to the presence of Gin. He had a distraught look on his face, and was walking rather quickly to Tsukune and Moka, "You two got to get out of here. Now."

"W-what? Why?" Moka asked, "What's the problem?"

Gin shook his head, pulling Moka and Tsukune up, "Kuyou's looking for the two of you, and I have a bad feeling about it. He seems pretty pissed off about something, and I figured I'd come here and find you."

"Why is he after us?" Tsukune inquired, "Is it to do with Naruto?"

Gin quirked an eyebrow, "Naruto? Oh, Haji's new black belt? No, I don't think so...but who knows? Kuyou's a creep and a corrupt bastard. He may just be looking for an excuse to tear the Newspaper Club apart, and is using your relations with that Naruto or whatever to undermine us."

Kurumu got up, "How can we get away from them? They can just go to the dorms, or any other campus building. Hiding from them is pretty much useless!"

"I don't know, but you've got to get out of here right now!" Gin said in an aggravated tone, "Kuyou's the kind of guy that won't hesitate to eliminate an obstacle, be it a student or otherwise."

The other five members of the Newspaper Club looked at each other, and seemed to agree silently on making a break for it. They headed towards the door, and opened it. They didn't make it more than a few feet down the hallway before the very group of people they were running from appeared at the top of the stairs leading to their floor.

Gin cursed under his breath, "Don't run; that'll just raise suspicion."

Steeling themselves, the group continued down the hall, and as they had expected, Kuyou and a few student police stood in their way, "Tsukune Aono...Moka Akashiya...we would like a word with the two of you."

"You guys again?" Kurumu said in an exasperated tone, "First you take Naruto, keep him in your stinking prison or whatever, and now you're taking Tsukune-kun and Moka too?"

Kuyou simply turned to the Succubus, "You simpleton. You're not aware?"

"Aware of what?" Kurumu asked.

"Of this boy's secret." Kuyou answered, nodding to Tsukune, "It's believed that Tsukune Aono is actually a human."

It felt like the air was crushed out of Tsukune's lungs all of the sudden. His eyes widened a bit, but he said nothing. He took a step back, and felt a sudden nausea overtake him, though he managed to stay standing.

"Tsukune, a human? No, that's not possible!" Yukari began, "How can there be a human in Youkai? They don't allow them in here!"

"She's right; if Tsukune were a human, he wouldn't know of this place." Mizore added. Only Kurumu and Moka were quiet, both looking to the boy in question to see if he was alright.

The air around them seemed to heat up suddenly as Kuyou spoke, "I'm through playing with children; the two of you are coming with me. No further questions."

"I..." Tsukune couldn't find any words to say. He was still overcoming the shock from Kuyou finding out about him being human? How did he know? Did they manage to force the answer out of Naruto? His head fell as he sighed, "I...understand."

"Good. I've had enough difficulties over the past couple days as it is. Getting in the way of justice is a bad idea, especially for someone in your shoes." Kuyou turned down the hall, Moka and Tsukune trailing behind with the student police surrounding them on all sides.

"Tsukune, you can't-!"

Gin held up a hand in front of Kurumu, "Don't, Kurumu."

"Gin-senpai, are you just going to stand there and let them do this?" the Succubus shouted, tears forming in her eyes, "They must be trying to frame them for something! They may have forced Naruto to say something that wasn't true!"

"I wouldn't doubt it for a second, but the fact remains that we don't have much of a say in the matter..." Gin whispered as Tsukune and Moka disappeared from view down the stairs, "If...if Tsukune is by some stroke of ill luck a human, then we're likely next on their list of people to imprison on the grounds of harboring a human being. Either way we're screwed..."

While Kurumu and Gin were arguing, Yukari was looking to Mizore. She felt a sudden chill run down her spine as she looked at the Yuki-onna. Her eyes were glowing a soft hue of blue, and the tips of her hair were forming frost, "Mizore..."

"This isn't right..." Mizore whispered, her anger channeling through her voice, "I can understand associating with the Arashi-Ninja, even if it's a stupid reason...but claiming that someone is a human...and imprisoning..." Her fists began to tremble, "How can this school expect to have monsters fit in human society while at the same time excluding humans like this? Even if by chance if Tsukune is a human..."

Yukari nodded, "I don't like it. It makes us seem like horrible beings."

Mizore was determined now. She was going to get to the bottom of this problem, no matter what.

~o~o~o~o~o~

Naruto cracked open an eye at the sound of laughter from outside his cell. He looked up and crawled towards the door.

"...some stupid kid here is supposedly a human. Kuyou's got him right now, and apparently some vampire-girl is possibly involved. Not sure about the details, but..."

_"Oh no...did they find out about Tsukune?"_ Naruto got into a sitting position. He pressed his ear against the door and focused chakra into his ears so he could hear better.

"...that Tsukune Aono kid, right?"

"Yep, him and that Moka Akashiya."

"Oh man, that girl's a babe. I don't know why she hangs with a loser like him, especially if he's a human! Don't vampires drink humans' blood?"

"Hell, I think that's their favorite kind, but I'm not a vampire, so I don't know. They keep to themselves, anyway."

"Tch, yeah, stupid elitists..."

"Yeah. Well, we better get Uzumaki out of there. He'll probably start talking when we let him know about his friends, heheh..."

Naruto ground his teeth in anger. It was one thing to lock him up, beat him to the point where he was having trouble seeing, and leaving him in a cell with no bathroom...but to do the same to his friends?

"Kuyou...you've crossed the line."

Naruto stood up, hands still tied behind his back. He focused chakra into his arms and started to pull at his restraints. There was a loud snap, and he flexed his sore arms, happy to be free of the irksome ropes. Truth be told, he could have gotten out of the cell a lot sooner; he just decided to bide his time, hoping to come up with a way to expose Kuyou for his treatment of students and abuse of power. Something told him that despite how much liberty the guy was given, Kuyou was crossing over boundaries with his organization.

The sound of clanking keys could be heard from beyond his cell door. Naruto quickly jumped to the ceiling, and with chakra, gripped the surface. As the door opened, the two guards looked in, "Hey, what gives? He's not in here!"

"What? He should-"

Naruto dropped down from the ceiling and crashed onto the student's shoulders. The surprised student let out a startled cry, but with quick application of a finger to a pressure point between the shoulders and neck, he was out cold. Naruto hopped off the boy and blocked a punch from the other guard before grabbing hold of his arm and twisting it around. The guard let out a pained cry, and Naruto twisted it just a bit more to bring him to his knees.

"Gah, s-stop! That hurts like he-gaaaaah!"

"You want me to let go, huh?" Naruto began, "Fine. Tell me where Moka Akashiya and Tsukune Aono are being held. You better be quick; I'm not in the mood for waiting."

"I-I can't tell you-graaagh! Cell block eight, cell block eight! Shit, let go!"

Naruto did let go, and delivered a quick karate chop to the neck, knocking the guard out cold. He checked both of them for a pulse, and was happy to see both still had a steady heartbeat. With that done, he left the prison cell he had been held in. Looking down the halls revealed to Naruto that he was the lone prisoner in this section. He quickly ran through a few seals, and quietly summoned a small toad.

"Eh? Naruto? What's up? Gamakichi said you were-"

"Now is not the time. Look, can you go to my dorm room and get me my ANBU uniform scroll? It should be under my nightstand, clearly labeled."

The small red colored toad gave a quick salute, "Give me a second." The amphibian then disappeared in a puff of smoke. Naruto waited in the shadows for a whole three minutes before another popping sound was heard. He looked down to see the same toad holding up his Arashi-Ninja uniform scroll, "Found it. You might want to clean your room, too. It's starting so smell like-"

"Thanks, I'll remember that." Naruto spoke, "You better get going. The last thing I need is for people in this dimension to see me talking to toads that can talk and use jutsu."

"...alright, whatever you say. Be sure to contact Fukasaku sometime soon, by the way. He's curious as to when you're ready to start training."

Naruto gave a nod, "Will do."

The toad dismissed itself, leaving Naruto alone with the two knocked out guards. Quickly unsealing his scroll, Naruto called forth his uniform. He slipped into it within less than a minute, and darted down the hallway to what he hoped was the right direction.

_"I'm coming guys. I won't let Kuyou get away with this any longer..."_ Naruto thought, "I hope that bastard's ready...it's been awhile since I've had to be serious about fighting someone."

**End of Chapter Eight- Naruto to the rescue! Yeah, bet you saw that coming, heh. Who didn't; it's Naruto. He's SUPPOSED to be the big hero. Well, I haven't given away anything yet as to what will happen, but even I'm looking forward to the next chapter. It gives me the goosebumps just thinking about it.**

**Well, as always, thanks for reading. I'll hopefully get another update in sooner than later; summer's an unpredictable time for me; one minute I've got all the free time in the world, the next I'm busy with work. Anyway, until next time, keep on reading!**


	10. The Fox and the Ninja

**Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto, and Rosario+Vampire is the property of Akihisa Ikedha. It kind of sucks that I didn't think up either of the two series, and I don't mean suck as in how Moka sucks blood out of Tsukune. Yeah, bad pun, my bad.**

**Rosario+Jinchuuriki**

**Chapter Nine: The Fox and the Ninja**

"Where the hell did he go?"

"How should I know? He was just in front of us a second ago!"

"I'm right here."

The two Student Police members turned around only to see nothing. The sound of the air vents above them could be heard creaking above them, along with their breathing, but the halls were otherwise void of any noise.

"Dude, I'm getting the hell out of here!" The first student began sprinting down the hall, only for a figure to land on his shoulders. He was knocked out by the impact, leaving his shaking partner to look down the hall towards the elusive and intimidating Arashi-Ninja.

"Hm. Don't they give you guys any basic training for situations like these?" Naruto asked as he stepped over his most recent surprise attack victims, "Seriously, I mean, I've seen kids _half_ your age do better at defending themselves compared to your security guards! It's insulting that people like you are abusing power like this."

"G-get away from me!" The student pulled out a tonfa and charged towards the blond. Naruto rolled his eyes, noticing the idiot had no idea how to use his weapon most effectively. Without flinching, Naruto caught the blunt weapon with one hand, took it from the baffled teen, then checked him in the gut with said weapon. The Police Committee member groaned in pain as he struggled to stand up straight, only to have his tonfa pressed against his throat, pinning him to the wall, "Gack!"

"Now..." Naruto began, "I'm going to ask you a few questions, and you're going to cooperate with me and answer me honestly, alright?" Lessening the pressure on his captive's throat, Naruto continued, "Don't test my patience."

"You think I'd help a bastard like-oof! Gah! Aaaaah! Alright, alright, just let go of my hand!"

Naruto, who was currently twisting the other boys' wrist while pulling it downward, laughed, "What makes you think a _bastard_ _like_ _me_ would be willing to let you go?"

"Okay! Okay! I'm sorry, just stop!"

Naruto pulled the boy's arm back up, and turned the wrist back to a less painful position, but maintained his hold, "Start singing, buddy."

~o~o~o~o~o~

"Kuyou..."

The leader of the Public Safety Commission looked over his shoulder to a short redheaded girl with a bo staff, "Deshiko, what's the meaning of this?"

"The patrols in the third and fourth block have been taken out. They were saying something about the Arashi-Ninja."

Kuyou's emotionless face morphed into a scowl, "The Arashi-Ninja?"

"Y-yes, it appears that he's somehow broken into our headquarters." replied Deshiko Deshi, "What are your orders?

"See to it that he doesn't make it this far."

"R-right." Deshiko replied with a quick bow, then exited through the door behind her.

Kuyou returned his attention to the person before him. Moka stood in place while a chain holding her arms together behind her back. Said chain was connected to the rafters above their heads within one of the largest rooms in the Student Police headquarters, which Kuyou affectionately named the 'questioning chamber', "Now, I have grown tired of this game, Akashiya-san. Tell me...is Tsukune Aono a human or not?"

"I-I don't know!" Moka lied, "Why are you doing this? There's no need to be so-"

Kuyou took a spray bottle and spritzed her several times with water. She cried out as she felt her strength get sapped a little, and her knees began to shake.

"We've been at this for over an hour, Akashiya-san. I suggest you cooperate, unless you wish to be dealt with more throughly. We have several fire hoses around here, I'm sure."

Moka's eyes widened, but she kept her lips sealed. She wouldn't turn Tsukune in like that. Not even if it meant...

There was the sudden squeal of the PA speaker being turned on, and Kuyou looked up, "What's the meaning of this?"

"Ahem...attention all Public Safety Commission officers..." spoke a voice, "This is your local ninja vigilante of justice, the Arashi-Ninja, speaking. I've just been informed by one of your less fortunate officers that you are currently imprisoning Tsukune Aono and Moka Akashiya under little to no evidence. While I'm sure this is the case for numerous other students, you seem to have been targeting these two and the Newspaper Club for quite some time now."

"Ninja-san?" Moka looked up, her eyes lighting up as she heard the voice continue.

"As such, I'm afraid my patience with your group has fizzled out. I will now proceed to take down your organization, by force if necessary. I recommend that if you wish to not be thrashed to a pulp that you surrender now. Leave the area and no harm will come to you. That will be all."

With that, the PA was turned off. Kuyou glared at the electronic speaker before turning back to Moka, "So, it seems that your friend has made his presence official." Kuyou snapped his fingers, and two students on either side of the room gave a nod before exiting the room, "Looks like I'll be using more direct measures on you after all."

~o~o~o~o~o~

Four guards stood at the door way connecting the last imprisonment block with the hall leading to the room where Kuyou was holding Moka Akashiya and Tsukune Aono. Deshiko Deshi, the commanding officer of their group, had gone into the prison block by herself, only to have the lights go out on her. She whipped out her bo staff as she felt a presence entering the room. Though her vision had been restrained with the lack of lighting, she wouldn't drop her guard so easily.

"Well, someone who can finally put up a fight." echoed a voice, "...hm...perhaps not."

Deshiko felt a fist connect with her jaw before she was caught by her wrist, and flung into the door she had entered through.

"Yeesh, this is basic combat stuff for me, you know that? Most people my age where I come from would be able to fight in almost pitch black conditions."

Deshiko got to her feet, holding her staff in a ready stance, "Arashi-Ninja. Figures that you'd show up here eventually. What purpose do you have in breaking into our headquarters?"

"I'm here to clean up this corrupt group. The Student Committee is blatantly violating student rights with the imprisonment. Yeah, they may be monsters, but I know for a fact that more than half of these 'prisoners' have done nothing violating student code of conduct." Naruto gave a chuckle, "Seriously, for an organized group who is meant to uphold the order in this place, you sure suck at making a good example of yourselves."

Deshiko grit her teeth before charging towards the sound of the ninja's voice. She'd take down this bastard, and Kuyou would be able to get rid of the human with no more problems. Then maybe she'd get promoted to a higher ranked officer!

~o~o~o~o~o~

Three minutes had passed when the door opened. The two guards Kuyou had sent off were now hauling in a struggling Tsukune, who appeared to have been through an hour-long interrogation of his own. He had several bruises on his face, and his overall appearance was rather disheveled.

"We even tried to get him to transform by letting him go. He didn't retaliate, or make any attempt to break out. He simply asked where you were." Kuyou smiled knowingly, "It appears he has no real powers, does he?"

"That..." Moka looked up, "...Tsukune's not guilty of anything!"

"Moka, what'd they do to you?" Tsukune spoke, finally looking up with one open eye, the other shut from a swollen bruise.

Kuyou cut off the both of them, his eyes back on Moka, "Now then, tell me, is Tsukune Aono a human? Yes...or no?"

"I..." Moka shook her head, "No, he's-"

"Ugh!" Tsukune felt a fist implant itself in his gut, and he coughed, "Gah...wh-what the hell?"

"Tsukune!" Moka cried out before glaring at Kuyou, "Stop that! He's done nothing wrong!"

"Oh?" Kuyou asked, "So he's not a human?" He grabbed Tsukune by the hair while keeping his eyes locked with Moka, "Tell him to transform to his true self, then."

"Tsukune..." Moka began, "...I..."

"Gaaah!"

_Crash!_

Kuyou looked to the door behind him, "Go see what that was."

The two guards bowed before running out into the hall. A few moments passed before more crashes were heard. Kuyou growled in annoyance before throwing Tsukune to the floor and opening the door himself. A second later he saw a figure go flying into him from the darkness.

"Deshi?" Kuyou began, "What are you doing here?"

Deshiko had a dazed look in her eyes, and it appeared like she had gone through a royal ass-kicking, "Th-the Arashi-Ninja...he's stronger than we thought."

~o~o~o~o~o~

"Crap, he took out Deshi-san!" spoke of one of the guards, "Where the hell did he go?"

"Calm the hell down! He caught her off guard, that's all," replied another one of the Student Police guards, "He probably just ran back into the jail block; he knows he can't get past all of us in such a narrow hall-"

"Actually, I've been here the whole time."

The two guards looked up to see a shadow drop down upon them. The dim lighting didn't help their situation. It was like trying to locate and hit a shadow in a dark alleyway.

Naruto quickly grabbed hold of the baton in one of his attacker's hands, and snapped it in two before catching and breaking his knuckles. The student cried out in pain before getting a knee to the gut, sending him sprawling to the ground.

"You won't get away with-"

The blond ducked under a wild swing from his other opponent, and grabbed his arm before throwing the student over himself and onto the ground. Before the student could get up, Naruto decked him in the face, knocking him out cold.

The sound of several more footsteps could be heard from two connecting hallways. He smirked and melted back into the shadows.

_"I probably didn't even need to bring all my gear. I wanted to cut loose here, too."_ the blond thought as he waited for the remaining guards to reach him. In all honesty, it surprised him how few of the student police had actually dropped their human forms and transformed into their true selves. Perhaps it was because these students actually trained a bit in their human bodies, or maybe a few of them were actually half-decent beings who were just trying to uphold school rules. Though, he recalled hearing that the Public Safety Commission members were allowed to use their true forms whenever necessary.

Maybe they were just underestimating him. He'd need to teach them a lesson.

~o~o~o~o~o~

Kuyou dropped Deshiko and looked down the shadow-filled hall. He saw several guards running down the hall from connecting corridors, the sounds of fighting just beyond his sight. Several seconds later, there was silence, aside from a few groans of pain.

_"He...he beat all of them? Surely there are some officers still..."_

Then he heard it.

"Total slaughter...total slaughter..." the voice echoed down the hall, "I won't leave a single man alive...la de da de dai...genocide...la de da de duh...an ocean of blood. Let's begin the killing time..."

"What...?" Kuyou raised an eyebrow, "He's...singing?"

The dim lighting near Kuyou began to make out the faint image of a figure a little shorter than him. He was decked in a strange armor and had a mask covering his face with a bandanna covering his entire head.

"So...I finally meet you face to face, Arashi-Ninja. I must admit, that song is quite unfitting for you, who's supposedly called the 'Ninja Vigilante of Justice'..."

Naruto chuckled, "Eh, I was just messing around. Figured I'd scare off any stragglers that wanted to jump me." Naruto rolled his shoulders, "So...I take it Moka-san and Tsukune-san are in there?"

"That's none of your business."

"Well, as the 'Ninja Vigilante of Justice', I believe it is."

Kuyou's eyes were like daggers, "What do you know about _justice_?"

"For starters? It doesn't involve torture to those who aren't guilty of anything..."

Kuyou took a step forward, "I am justice, you fool. My word is what keeps this place in one piece!"

"Egotistical, aren't we?" Naruto sighed while he continued towards the head of the Police Committee.

Kuyou replied by forming a ball of fire in his hands. Naruto caught him by the wrist and gripped it tightly before aiming his open palm at a wall. The fireball crashed into the nearby wall and sent dust flying as it scorched the brick. Kuyou grimaced as the ninja pushed him back before kicking him in the chest.

"Ahk!"

Kuyou hit the brick wall rather hard. He was a bit surprised; this interloper was stronger than he had thought originally. It wasn't a surprise to see that all of his subordinates had been taken out, now that he felt what must have been a fraction of his strength.

"Oh, come on, get up!" Naruto shouted, "That was just a jerk in the knees. If you're going to fall over after that, then I'm going to feel bad when I get serious."

Kuyou got up and dusted himself off, "Very well. You say you'll be serious about this fight? Then I'm obliged to do likewise."

Naruto felt the air become thick with a suppressive force that he identified as youki. He'd come to associate youki with something akin to both killer intent and chakra, but that was obviously not the case entirely, since the monsters in Youkai had a different sort of physical energy source than the shinobi of his world.

"You'll be the first to bear witness to my power in quite some time, Arashi-Ninja..." Kuyou began as a fire began to surround him, "I'll burn you to ashes and bring back the order to this school. Then I'll dispose of this filthy human and his vampire associate!"

Naruto was pushed back by a sudden force that was accompanied by an intense heat. He covered his face for a moment as a blast of the fiery youki washed over him, and as he lowered his eyes, he nearly stumbled back in surprise.

"...y-you're..."

"Correct..." spoke Kuyou, who's voice was deep and almost ethereal now, "I am a kitsune. A fox spirit."

Naruto couldn't help but laugh at the situation. Though he dare not say why he thought it humorous. Crouching low, he pulled out a kunai, "Alright, foxy. Let's see if those flames are more than just for show."

There were four tails that seemed to be made of fire that waved lazily behind the fox. Kuyou had a bright yellow and orange glow about him, and strange markings lining his body. He was just like the pictures he saw in some of the older books about folk tales that Hiruzen Sarutobi would occasionally read to him when he was just a child.

The tails began to spin while Kuyou opened his mouth, "_**Hazy Fireball**_!"

Naruto whipped through several hand seals before blasting water out of his mouth, "_**Suiton: Teppoudama**_!"

The fireball burst into a steamy haze as it crashed into the liquid projectile Naruto shot forth. Kuyou growled in anger as he looked to Naruto, "You continue to annoy me, Arashi-Ninja. Why do you get in the way of justice?"

"Your 'justice' is just whatever you feel is right! It doesn't work that way, Kuyou!"

Kuyou roared before igniting himself, yellow flames encircling him, "I will crush you, and make an example of you to all who feel they have the right to take the law into their hands!"

"Go ahead and try!" Naruto shouted back, "I've dealt with stronger opponents than you!"

Kuyou dashed forward, sliding low and avoiding Naruto's rising kick and lashing out with his fiery tails. Naruto cried out in pain while getting knocked back but staying on his feet. He felt his hand twitch in pain as he smelt burning flesh, but ignored it. He could already feel the Kyuubi working its magic on the wound, fixing it up and accelerating his cell regeneration.

The two circled each other a bit, neither giving each other an opening to attack. Kuyou's youki began to cause the ground to melt with every step he took. Naruto could see smoky paw prints where he had touched the ground.

"You know...it's funny..." Naruto began, "I always thought you'd be an uglier monster than this."

Kuyou gave no verbal reply, instead lunging forward, attempting to catch Naruto in his jaws. The young ninja hopped back before creating several clones. Kuyou whirled around, finding himself surrounded by about a dozen clones of the Arashi-Ninja now. A few ran to engage the kitsune directly while three hung back, running through several seals.

Kuyou made quick work of the the ninja's doppelgangers, and turned to face the three ninja. One of them had to be the real deal.

"_**Suiton: Teppoudama**_!"

"_**Raiton: Jibashi**_!"

"_**Fuuton: Daitoppa**_!"

The watery projectile smashed into Kuyou at the same time as the blast of high powered wind, creating a small vortex of water. He realized only a second later what his opponent's intentions were, and was hit with the electromagnetic current of the third jutsu.

"Gyaaaah!" Kuyou screamed in pain as he was electrocuted and sent into a violent spasm.

Naruto dispelled the two clones beside him and ran to Moka and Tsukune. He quickly snapped the chains holding Moka's hands together with his wind chakra, and helped untie Tsukune. When the teen was freed from his restraints he spoke, "You two alright?"

"Y-yeah..." Tsukune began, "Thanks, Ninja-san."

Naruto gave a thumbs up, "Don't mention it! No one can escape the righteous fury of the Arashi-Ninja's mighty fists!"

"R-right..." Tsukune nodded while giving the masked ninja an odd look, "We should get out of here..."

"Moka! Tsukune!"

The trio turned to the door to see none other than the members of the Newspaper Club, Gin included. They ran to the three, Yukari immediately latching onto Tsukune and saying how worried she was.

Gin noticed Naruto, "Arashi-Ninja?"

Naruto gave a nod, "Gin. Glad to see you...though not like this."

The werewolf gave a nod, "Heard from one of the beaten guards that you've already done quite a number here." He grinned, "Not bad, heheh."

The group felt the ground shake shake suddenly as Kuyou let out a roar, "You'll all be burned to ashes! All of you! Anyone who goes against my will be incinerated in my flames!"

"...man, he's full of himself." Naruto commented, "Stay back, guys, I'll handle this..."

"H-hey! Wait, you can't handle him by-" Gin's words fell on deaf ears as Naruto dashed forward, kunai in either hand, "...yourself..."

Naruto let out a battle cry as he leaped into the air before falling down and attempting to slash at the fox spirit. Kuyou let out a wave of fiery energy, knocking the blond back.

"Looks like I'll have to go to desperate measures. This guy's going to burn the place apart..." Naruto could feel the vibrations under his feet intensify as Kuyou continued to release his energy, "Here I come!"

Naruto held out his right hand before he began the process of his favorite technique. Soon a blue ball of energy was in his hands, ready to be slammed into Kuyou.

"W-where did you get that much youki all of the sudden?" Kuyou asked, a bit surprised to see the sudden increase in his adversary's power.

"Where I got it is none of your business." Naruto replied, "I'll be happy to show you how powerful this jutsu is, though!" Naruto dashed forward, Rasengan in hand, "Eat this, bastard!"

Kuyou blasted a ball of fire from his mouth, but Naruto held his hand out, and much to the fox spirit's surprise, it was absorbed into the vortex of chakra. Soon the masked blond was holding a swirling ball of flaming chakra in his hands as he continued forward, "H-how did you-?"

"_**Rasengan**_!"

Kuyou was impacted from the side by the powerful ball of chakra before he was blasted into a nearby wall. He moved a bit, wincing in pain as he stared at at the black and blue mark on his stomach. He probably got a few bruised ribs, as well, which was quite a feat in itself. Few managed to ever injure the kitsune at all. His flames tended to weaken any physical blows that were dealt to him.

That ninja was much stronger than he let on, though. That technique he had used was definitely an odd one. The oddest part, however, was that the ninja's energy was different from other youki he encountered in the past. It felt lighter, less malign. Almost like...

Kuyou's thoughts were interrupted as he felt steel pressed against his neck, "Give up, Kuyou."

"Give...up?" Kuyou repeated. He growled a bit, and before Naruto could react, sent out another wave of heat, stronger and much more powerful than before. Naruto screamed in pain as his clothes caught fire. The others, however, were too concerned with the sudden increase in temperature in the room to call out to the ninja. Blue flames were surrounding Kuyou as he managed to stand on two legs. Before their eyes, Kuyou began to change. His body took on a more human like appearance, and within moments, he was bipedal and looking at them with a more human face.

"W-what did he do?" Kurumu said shakily, "H-he's gotten a lot stronger all of the sudden."

The Succubus was right. What had been an intense pressure upon the group was now almost like a physical weight to anyone within the area. Yukari felt her knees quaking while Kurumu and Yukari were fairing only a little better, trying to keep the younger girl standing. Gin winced as he looked into the flaming eyes of the kitsune, "Shit..."

Kuyou laughed, "This is quite a familiar scenario. I'll be disposing of the Newspaper Club a second time, but this time I'll make sure that no one survives...but first..." Kuyou turned to the groaning form leaning against the wall, "I'll get rid of you, Arashi-Ninja."

The kitsune's eyes widened a fraction as he noticed the figure in front of him to be none other than Naruto Uzumaki. His body was severely burnt, his mask gone while his armor was melted in several spots, "So...you're the Arashi-Ninja."

Naruto looked up, and smirked, "Heh...you got me, big guy." He groaned in pain as he attempted to move, "Luckily ANBU armor is made to withstand explosions like that..."

Kuyou snarled as he grabbed Naruto by the throat, "This will make things much more easy for me, Uzumaki." He formed a fireball in his hands, preparing to finish Naruto off.

~o~o~o~o~o~

Everyone stared.

Naruto...all this time, he had been the one who was watching over them from the shadows.

"N-Naruto?" Yukari spoke as she looked on to the injured blond, who was currently being held up by Kuyou, "He's the Arashi-Ninja?"

Mizore was looking on with silent shock. It made sense, in some ways...but still...all this time, he had been hiding who he was. Why did he do this?

Moka and Kurumu were both at a loss for words, though Kurumu felt she had known it all along. The incident at the pool back when they were attacked by mermaids...Naruto being in the Karate Club...

Tsukune, however, wasn't thinking as clearly.

"Naruto!" Tsukune shouted, getting to his feet and running to his friend.

Naruto and Kuyou both looked to the human boy, and the blond felt his gut turn to lead, "Tsukune, stay back!"

Kuyou wasn't as good at warning his enemies, however. Tsukune was whipped away with a tail of blue fire, sending him rolling a few times on the ground before he crashed into Gin, who attempted to catch him.

"You bastard!" Naruto growled, whipping out a kunai from his pouch. He stabbed Kuyou in the arm, causing the kitsune to howl in pain. Kuyou slammed a flaming fist into his gut, and Naruto felt the air rush out of his lungs before he was sent once more into a wall.

"You clearly don't realize how outclassed you are, Uzumaki." Kuyou chuckled mockingly, "My species are revered as _gods_ by many. Ironically enough, even humans see us as divine beings because of our vast power."

The shinobi snickered as though Kuyou had told a joke, "You're just an overgrown fox with an ego to overcompensate for your lack of a-"

Kuyou didn't bat an eyelash as he delivered a fire-enhanced punch to the blond. Naruto coughed up blood as he felt his ribs take on the brunt of the attack.

"This is the end for you, Uzumaki. I will destroy you, and bring peace back to our academy. I'll be sure to make this as painful as possible."

Kuyou lifted Naruto up by the collar and headbutt him once before slamming his face into the concrete. Heat seared the shinobi's face, and he was pretty sure there would be some nasty burns left behind when Kuyou was done with him. The blond, still conscious, grabbed a hold of Kuyou's arm and quickly snapped two of his fingers back.

"Gyaaaah!" Kuyou growled as he held his injured hand, "You still manage to try and fight me?" Kuyou slammed Naruto against the stone walls once more. This time Naruto's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he blacked out, "Forget it, I'll kill you right here and now!"

"That won't be happening."

Kuyou turned to see Gin standing before him, fur and all. He had let go of his human disguise, now showing the werewolf he truly was, "Gin? You dare stand against me, after seeing what happened to your little organization _last _year?"

"Well, I'm going to get beaten by you anyway, right?" He grinned, "May as well go down kicking and screaming!"

The werewolf blurred away, but Kuyou spun around and lashed out at him with his flaming tails, "A human lover like you, trying to take on me?"

The werewolf leaned back, the flames licking the end of his fur covered face. Gin groaned as he held a hand to his scorched facial fur, "Damn it..." Gin's eyes narrowed and he snarled, "Do you have any idea how long it'll take to grow my fur back to the condition it was in on my face? Do you?"

~o~o~o~o~o~

While Gin had fought bravely, he had done little to the powerful fox spirit, other than provide a distraction to prevent Naruto from being further beaten. The Newspaper Club watched in mild horror as Gin was tossed to the ground like a rag doll. He mumbled something about insane power before his eyes rolled into the back of his head as well before he blacked out.

"Tsukune, please stay behind me." whispered Moka. She had managed to get him to safety while Naruto and Gin were fighting the kitsune, but now he had his sights set on their group.

"M-Moka?" Tsukune looked up, "I-is Naruto alright?"

"I think so..." the rosette looked to see Mizore, Kurumu, and Yukari standing in front of her, shielding her from the heat. She turned to her friends and continued, "There's...one way for me to help him. There is a bit of risk involved, but if it works, Tsukune-kun will make it."

Mizore gave a nod, "I'll give you what time I can."

"Same here." added Kurumu.

"We won't let that stupid Kuyou hurt Tsukune, Naruto, or Gin anymore!" Yukari chimed, clutching her wand tightly.

"Thank you." Moka gave them a nod, then leaned towards Tsukune.

"Moka...we've got to help...them..."

Moka barely registered the boy's hands clasping onto her rosary, but she felt a light tug, and before she knew it, the silver colored piece of jewelry snapped off her neck. The familiar, stifling aura of Moka's inner self washed over the group immediately.

"You idiot." Moka began, frowning, "I'm trying to save you. You're injured badly, and will die if I don't do something about it soon." She bared her teeth a bit as Tsukune clutched her rosary in his hands, smiling, despite her annoyance with him. She sighed, and looked away for a moment, "I'll help Naruto and the others as soon as I'm done helping you."

Tsukune's vision was swimming by now, and he felt rather cold. Was he dying?

His thoughts were cut off as he felt a dull pain in his neck. He was pretty sure it was Moka biting into him again. Was she feeding on his blood? Right now? He was dying! Why now of all...no...something different was happening. Instead of feeling tired...Tsukune was feeling...stronger!

Warmth began to wash over him, and he could feel his brain starting back up. Fingers twitched, breathing became stronger. He was starting to get his senses back, and around that time he heard what sounded like Moka's inner self talking. He felt Moka's lips against his once again warm skin, and for almost a minute she stayed their, pumping him full of whatever was giving him this energy boost.

"...we lost you, then I would never forgive myself, Tsukune. I have given you some of my blood; hopefully it will be enough to help you recover. Stay here, we'll take care of Kuyou and help the others. Just rest for now."

The white haired beauty stood up and her face left Tsukune's vision. He silently wanted to call back to her, but he was still too fatigued to speak full sentences. He could feel the overbearing pressure of Moka's youki now, along with Kuyou's. He just hoped she would be alright.

~o~o~o~o~o~

Mizore gasped weakly as she strained to stand up. Just beyond Kuyou was the unconscious form of Naruto. She got to her feet, and wobbled a bit as she tried to stabilize herself.

"Naruto..." She wasn't paying attention to Kuyou at the moment, her attention instead remaining focused on the boy that had come to find a foothold in her heart.

"Do you have feelings for that boy?" Kuyou inquired, noticing the direction of her gaze, "Is he important to you?"

Mizore felt her hands freeze into icicle claws again, "Leave Naruto-kun alone."

"Hmm?" Kuyou smirked, "So I take it that's a yes?" He aimed a palm at the prone form of Naruto Uzumaki, "I'm curious as to what you'll try to do to stop me, Yuki-onna." A large ball of blue flames formed in his hands, "Shall I attack him and see what happens?"

Mizore eyes widened, and her anger dissipated into fear for Naruto "W-wait..." She felt her arms trembling, "He can't even defend himself! Why would you attack someone that's unable to fight back?"

"He is a danger to the peace of Youkai Academy, and pays no mind to the laws set forth by the Student Police. That...and he stinks of human scent." He turned to the blond, "If I didn't know any better, seeing as he has yet to transform, he's a human as well." The ball of flames began to spin, "Good riddance, then."

"Noooo!" Mizore screamed. She quickly launched a gale of icy wind in desperation, hoping to somehow negate the far more powerful ball of fire and protect Naruto. The blast of wind hit the fireball a few feet from reaching Naruto, and erupted. The blond went flying into the air, landing in a heap some ways off from where Mizore was standing.

Looking to either side of her were Yukari and Kurumu. Neither had been any more successful that she had been against the fox spirit. Kurumu's illusions were simply brushed off by Kuyou's powerful aura, and she couldn't get that close to slash at him with her nails. Yukari's card magic was reduced to ashes by the kitsune, and she had no spells in her vast arsenal that were powerful enough to put even a dent in his stamina.

"H-he's too strong..." Yukari whined, her breathes coming out in short wheezes, "I...I'm having trouble standing near him, let alone fight."

Kurumu let out a haggard breath, "Well, we can't do anything but try! Moka needs us to cover for her while she heals Tsukune. While two of us fight, one of us can try to get to Naruto and Gin-senpai."

"You fools honestly think that you'll be able to do anything to me?" Kuyou laughed, "Your club president didn't prove to be much of a challenge. What makes you think you'll do any better?"

It was about that time that Kuyou was introduced to the youki of Moka Akashiya. He stopped laughing, and looked onward to see the vampiress glaring daggers at him. Was this her true form? So...Ishigami was right after all about that girl...

"A vampire? Hm, the academy's new students are full of surprises, aren't they?" Kuyou muttered to himself. He lifted both hands into the air and formed a rather dense ball of flames, "I won't give you a chance to attack, Akashiya! Now burn in my flames!"

Kurumu and Yukari screamed as the ball of fire roared towards them. Mizore quickly slammed her hands to the ground, and summoned forth a wall of ice. The flaming projectile smashed into the ice, engulfing the room in a thick steam as the heat met the freezing cold.

"I...I don't think I'll be able to...do that again..." Mizore breathed. Calling forth that much ice in such little time was taxing for a young Yuki-onna like her. However, upon seeing that her friends were safe, she had no regrets.

A strong hand gripped her shoulder, and Mizore turned to her right to see Moka standing by her side, "I'll take it from here, Mizore. Thank you for protecting us." She turned to Kurumu and Yukari, offering them nods of thanks before walking forward.

"Hmph. So the Yuki-onna had more power that she was letting on." the kitsune thought aloud, "No bother. I can tell that last move nearly drained her of all her power. She won't be able to create any more ice for quite some time. Seeing as she is the only one who attacks with anything remotely effective, you're done for. She uses ice, to boot, which is hardly something to fight fire with."

Moka was now standing about thirty feet away from the kitsune, "Kuyou. You've harmed my friends. You nearly killed Naruto and Tsukune." She raised both her hands into a fighting stance, "I'm afraid any shred of mercy I would have had for you is gone. Prepare yourself!"

The vampiress sped to meet Kuyou from behind, only for his fist to collide with her foot.

"What?" Moka glared at the kitsune, "How-?"

"While your speed is impressive...it's nothing I cannot keep up with."

Kuyou slammed a fist into Moka's gut, and she grunted in pain while forcing her feet to push her off the ground and away from the fox spirit. His attacks were brutal, no doubt about it. It was hard to believe that Naruto had lasted as long as he had, if her suspicions of him being human were correct. Hell, it was nothing short of a miracle for Tsukune to have lived after Kuyou had attacked him.

The vampiress leaped into the air, attempting to take Kuyou down with an ax kick to the skull. Kuyou skillfully dodged to the side and whipped his tails at the vampire girl. Moka flexed herself to the side, giving herself a few inches of space to keep her from getting burned. She quickly flipped back several times as Kuyou launched miniature balls of fire at her.

"I see you're well aware of how much of a disadvantage you're at, Akashiya!" Kuyou gloated, "While your acrobatics seem to be helping you, just how long do you plan on leaping around for?"

Moka pushed off her hands and spun to the side as a particularly large ball of flames grazed her uniform. She touched down to the ground for no more than a second before dashing forward to engage Kuyou directly.

She ducked under a flaming kick and moved herself into a snap kick, only for her foot to pass over his chin as he leaned back. Growling at her inability to deal a connecting blow, she spun herself around using her momentum to swipe him with a kick with her other leg. He caught her by the ankle and flung her through the air before launching a ball of fire at her.

Moka cursed her ill luck and raised her hands to defend herself, and was hit with one of the most intense waves of heat and flame she had ever experienced. The proud vampiress forced herself to land on her feet, huffing and puffing as she held her stance, knees bent while she tried to maintain balance. While her clothing was scorched and sizzling in a few places, her body was for the most part unharmed. She was glad she had decided to use her youki to buffer the worse effects of Kuyou's attack.

_"I'm still too weak from giving Tsukune a portion of my blood." _She ground her teeth in frustration while looking to her weary friends, then to Gin, Tsukune, and finally to Naruto, who was still unmoving, _"What kind of vampire am I if I cannot even defend those that will throw their necks out to defend my other self?" _She clenched a fist and rose to her feet, "Is...that all to your power...Kuyou?"

Kuyou gave her a rather amused look, "Though I daresay you're in any condition to speak such words, no, I haven't given you all that I have at my disposal. Doing so would likely cause more damage than I'm willing to create, considering this is my headquarters."

The fox spirit launched another volley of fire at Moka, who forced her feet to move while she strained to keep herself going. The heat, combined with her burns, and the fact that she had the others' safety to be concerned of, gave Kuyou a huge handicap in this match.

Moka stopped suddenly and ducked as a wave of heat soared over her head. She turned ninety degrees and dashed towards the kitsune, eyes blazing with vampiric fury.

"Raaaaagh!"

Kuyou was caught off guard; she had gained a sudden burst of speed in seconds and was upon him. He raised a hand and blocked a fist, but the knee to his gut caused his abdomen to clench in pain. He let out a feral roar before clawing at the vampire, which she sidestepped and used his arm to lift her up to his face and deliver another powerful knee strike.

"Graagghh!" Kuyou recoiled as he felt his nose break, "My nose!" He lowered his clawed hand and his eyes were literally blazing, "Enough of this! I've said it one too many times, but now I _will_ end this! Hraaaaaaaaagh!"

Flames erupted from the kitsune, and the smell of molten rock filled the air, "I'll just vaporize all you right here and now!"

The flames increased further, and now even Moka was having trouble standing close to her vulpine opponent. She backed away, bullets of sweat dripping down her skin, "No...I can't counter this..." She turned to the others, relieved to see that they had managed to grab a hold of Naruto and Gin finally, "All of you, get out of here! Now!"

"What? No! We're not leaving-"

"I stand the best chance of enduring this heat, Kurumu! This isn't up for discussion! Take the boys and run! _Now_!" She finished with a harsh snarl. The others all gave her an alarmed look, but she would ignore the fearful gazes; her pride demanded that she see this fight through.

At least that would have been the case had she not been interrupted...

~o~o~o~o~o~

**"Ah, this is an extreme case of ****déj****à**** vu for me."**

"Bite me, fur ball."

The Kyuub let our a rancorous laugh, **"Now now, I'm not here to ridicule you for your insurmountable stupidity, Naruto. I'm here to offer you a helping hand..." **The Kyuubi smiled as Naruto looked up from his spot on the damp sewer floors,** "Think of this as a way for me to help you protect your pathetic friends and give me a sense of satisfaction as well."**

"What the hell are you talking about? Since when did my fights concern you beyond keeping me alive, Kyuubi?"

**"Since I saw that wisp of a fox spirit challenge my vessel's power!" **Kyuubi roared, his crimson irises glowing with malevolence, **"I want to crush that kitsune that goes by the name Kuyou, and I want to put him in his rightful place. Now!"**

Naruto frowned, "I don't trust you enough to use your power here. I also don't intend on killing anyone today if I can help it."

** "Fool! You're at death's door as we speak!" ** The Kyuubi slammed against the bars of its prison, **"Just channel my chakra through your body and defeat him! Nothing more to it!" ** The Kyuubi snarled in anger at his vessel's stubbornness, **"That or you and your friends die! Your choice!"**

Naruto grumbled while pacing back and forth for a moment. He had a choice, that was true. He could either use his own chakra, awaken in time to probably take on Kuyou a second time, and likely face a second experience at being scorched by the kitsune's flames. The other option was that he could use the Kyuubi's chakra.

**"If this is a because of your pride as a shinobi that you're refusing my **_**rare**_** genuine offer of help, then get over it! You've already shown your strength is far superior to most of your pathetic ****species! Most ninja would have been destroyed by that whelp of a kitsune's flames from the start!"**

If Naruto didn't know any better, he could have sworn that Kyuubi was complimenting him, though he doubted it. Kyuubi was likely just trying to get him to cave in and take his chakra.

Naruto had his mind up, however. To hell with consequences, his friends needed his help.

~o~o~o~o~o~

Kuyou, along with the rest of the group in the room, all felt a sudden weight settle in their chests. The kitsune stopped gathering his youki for a moment, curious as to what could be creating such a disturbing aura. They turned their attention to the blond who was suddenly dropped by Mizore, who was shaking her hand and complaining about a burning sensation.

Naruto began to stir. He gripped the cracked stone floor with his now clawed hands, and slowly pushed himself up off the floor. He took in a few shaky breaths, and looked up to stare into Kuyou's eyes. The blond's eyes were slitted, and of a red hue.

"Those eyes..." Kuyou spoke, "They're real..."

"You got that right, Kuyou..." Naruto growled, steadying himself to his feet. He felt his cracked ribs mend, his bruises and burns heal, and his muscles bulk a little, "You know, I find it ironic that the guy I'm about to beat the shit out of is a four tailed fox spirit."

Hiding his unease behind a placid expression, he spoke, "Oh? Why is that?"

Naruto grinned, and everyone aside from the blond, Moka included let out an involuntary shudder as a feeling of raw, unrestrained killer intent became present in the room. Yukari began to shake and found herself in the arms of Kurumu, who was close to collapsing as well. Mizore was debating on running and calling out to Naruto, so instead she settled for remaining in place. Tsukune was on his hands and knees and breathing hard, keeping his eyes on Naruto the whole time. Gin, who had just woken up a short time ago was leaning on a support beam while struggling to remain on his feet.

Moka was fairing better than the others, but still felt the effects of Naruto's inner demon. She backed away slightly, her eyes focused on the blond while he began to call upon a strange coating of energy that was the color of crimson and orange.

"Why?" Naruto repeated, "Well, that's because I am the holder of the nine tailed fox. The _**Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Youko**_**!**"

Naruto's aura glowed brightly as he began to flood the area in the Kyuubi's chakra. He turned towards his friends behind him, and his eyes softened a little. The slitted irises rested upon Mizore as he spoke, "...Mizore-chan...I'm sorry I burned you earlier." He looked down as he continued, "Do you remember what we talked about that night? About how I'm a human, but something else as well?"

Mizore could only nod in reply.

"This is what I was talking about. I have sealed within me one of the most powerful demons that has ever existed where I'm from. The nine tailed fox."

"..." Mizore was speechless. A human boy with a demon sealed inside of his body? Why? Judging by the way he was biting twitching every so often, and the way his eyes quivered, this power wasn't comfortable at all for him to use. How did he get placed with such a powerful entity within him?

If Mizore was speechless, Kuyou was struck with terror. He backed away suddenly, aware of the crap heap of trouble he had jumped into. A nine tailed fox? Inside a human? Surely he was joking! Despite what he wanted to believe, however, Kuyou was forced to face the facts; that energy that Naruto was emitting was much like his own...but worse. Far, _far_ worse.

"I need you guys to get out of here." Naruto began, "If things get ugly in here, I don't want any of you getting caught up in it."

"You think that I'm leaving?" Moka began, finding her voice, "I'm a vampire. I will not-"

"I'm not suggesting, Moka, I'm _telling_ you! Get the hell out of here!"

Moka backed away, clearly startled by the harsh edge in Naruto's voice. He was dead serious; get out, or regret it.

Moka slowly turned around, but looked over her shoulder to the blond, "We'll wait for you."

Naruto nodded, now facing towards Kuyou.

With that, Moka headed towards the others, "Let's do what Naruto asks. I don't believe he's exaggerating when he says that we could easily get caught up in their fight."

Mizore clutched her snowflake necklace, "We can't just leave him by himself."

"We're not," Moka stated firmly, her eyes on the Yuki-onna, "We'll wait for him in the hall. If it gets too intense, we'll wait in the other jail block."

Everyone looked like they wanted to protest, but Moka had a point. Right now, Naruto was their best bet at beating Kuyou. Perhaps they should be more shocked by the revelations relating to their blond friend, but the situation was too dangerous to delve on that subject. They headed out to the hallway, stopping about halfway down and watching from what they hoped was a safe enough distance.

Once Naruto felt that they were far enough away from him and Kuyou, he began to gather more power. He soon formed one tail, then a second tail. He soon had three tails waving behind him, as well as more pronounced vulpine features. His whiskers had darkened, his teeth were now like that of his inner demon, and his hair had become rather thick and feral looking.

"How is it that you only have three tails yet you claim to be the container of a nine tailed fox?"

Naruto shrugged, "Three's as far as I can safely go. After that, I start losing control of the fox."

Kuyou's eyebrows rose, "Control of the fox? You mean...you are the one who is in power right now?"

"Yeah."

Kuyou smirked, "Some _demon_ you have there. For a fox spirit to be taken control of by a mere human is quite shameful." A blue orb of flames formed in his palm, "Let's see if this 'Kyuubi no Youko' is as powerful as you play it out to be."

Naruto charged head on, not even moving as the fireball crashed into him. He demonstrated the power of the fox's cloak as the fiery blast fizzled out like a burnt out sparkler. Before Kuyou could evade, Naruto had struck the fox spirit clean in the jaw, following up with a combination of three punches to the face and a spinning kick, and grabbing the fox by the throat and slamming him to the ground with earth shattering force.

Kuyou quickly rolled to the side as Naruto's fist came crashing into the concrete floor. He quickly got to his feet, turning in time to have the blond Jinchuuriki upon him once more. He blocked a punch from the shinobi, though he felt a jolt of pain followed with a sickening crack in his arm. He bit down the pain and formed a flaming aura around his good arm before lashing out at Naruto.

It was like hitting a solid wall of steel for Kuyou as his claws smashed into Naruto's cloak. It was thin, but he could not for the life of him get the flames to reach Naruto's skin.

"Tough luck." Naruto commented before grabbing Kuyou's head with both hands and ramming into him with his forehead. Kuyou howled in pain, but Naruto wasn't keen on giving him a reprieve from punishment. He grabbed a hold of Kuyou's good arm and quickly spun the fox around while holding his arm behind the kitsune's back. For good measure, Naruto pressed down on a pressure point between the finger and thumb. Kuyou began letting out a string of curses.

Naruto felt something wrap around his waist, only to find one of Kuyou's four fiery tails holding onto him. He felt a sudden jerk, and was thrown back, forced to let go of Kuyou's arm as he did so. The blond got to his feet and got into a crouching position like he typically did while using the Kyuubi's chakra cloak, "So...had enough?"

Kuyou growled in frustration as he bared his sharpened canines, "I'll be sure to throw you on a spit and roast you before I'm finished with you, Uzumaki."

"I wouldn't recommend that. I'm all tough meat; not good for eating."

The two charged at each other, fists crashing into each one another as they exchanged blows. They weren't even trying to dodge anymore. Naruto eventually delivered a powerful kick to Kuyou's chest, sending him skidding back before he stumbled to the ground. Calling forth the Kyuubi's chakra and manifesting it into a large hand, he grabbed a hold of Kuyou. The kitsune began to scream in agony as he felt his body being burned by the demon fox's raw power. Naruto lifted Kuyou into the air before dragging him across the walls with his chakra extension, ending it by throwing him to the ground.

By now, the leader of the Police Committee was on his last leg of strength. He got up and forced himself to remain standing. Kuyou roared before billowing out flames from his open mouth. Naruto faded from view, reappearing behind the kitsune, faster than Kuyou could have hoped to track. A foot slammed into his chest, and he fell hard the ground, his breath coming in wheezes.

Kuyou coughed up blood, but was given no rest as Naruto began to deal blow after blow to the now helpless head of the Student Police Committee.

Meanwhile, the Newspaper Club could only watch as Naruto made quick work of the four tailed fox spirit Kuyou. He lifted the kitsune up by the neck and watched as his head lolled to the side before dumping him to the ground like a sack of discarded produce.

"Jinchuuriki..." Yukari began, "...I remember reading about such humans before..."

The others all looked to her, Moka included. Kurumu spoke up, curiosity etched onto her face, "Well...?"

"W-well, I think...now, I don't know how accurate this is, but apparently there were groups of humans that had the power to seal up demons inside hosts. The book I read it from was so old and tattered that I thought it was just some book of myths and legends, you know?" She looked on to Naruto. He had let the chakra cloak dissipate, and was now picking Kuyou up off the ground and placing him over his shoulders, "It all makes sense now though."

"What does?" Tsukune asked.

"The book also said that the humans called themselves _shinobi_. They were able to harness great powers that they developed from intense training and used them to perform incredible tasks. It was even said that some were able to create moons, bring forth an entire forest of fully grown trees, cheat death, and bend the rivers, lakes, and oceans to their will."

Gin shook his head, "Wait, wait, wait! Shinobi were assassins who served lords or such people during the feudal era of Japan! I never heard about them being able to do crap like _that_!"

"Well..." Kurumu couldn't help but chuckle, "That explains why so many people think ninja were awesome fighters, right?"

By now Naruto was within earshot. He stopped at the mentioning of the word 'ninja' and didn't move as the others all locked gazes with him.

"Um..." Naruto scratched his head, "Ta da?"

~o~o~o~o~o~

"...while I do believe it's important to have a system of enforcing the laws, Headmaster, it would probably be better to have a more thorough background check on the members that would run such an organization like the Public Safety Commission."

The Headmaster smiled, his eyes glowing eerily underneath his cloak, "Very well, Ninja-san. I will look into the matter personally. Is there anything else you wish to notify me of?"

Naruto gave a quick nod, "Yes, one other thing." He looked up to the Headmaster, his sapphire eyes the only visible part underneath his mask that he managed to pull from his spare clothing scroll, "What is the fate of Tsukune Aono?"

"Well, I imagine he'll be continuing to attend classes, right?"

"H-he will?" Naruto calmed himself, "I see. Very well. Thank you for your time, Headmaster."

The young shinobi rose to his feet, turning towards the open window. It appeared the Headmaster wasn't done with him yet, "Oh, and Ninja-san?"

Naruto frowned underneath his mask but turned to the exorcist once more, "Yes, sir?"

"I appreciate the work you've been doing for my school from behind the scenes. I've been trying to find a reason to dissolve the current Public Safety Commission, and this imprisonment problem seems to be just the thing. I'll see to it that the students who were imprisoned are given proper treatment for whatever they dealt with while down there."

A smile crept onto the whisker-marked youth's face, "Good to hear, Headmaster! I'll do my part to insure this place remains a safe place to learn as well!" With that, Naruto left through the window.

The Headmaster smiled knowingly, _"He's quite the shinobi, Jiraiya...I'm beginning to understand why you had such high hopes in him."_

Naruto was relieved to find that he wasn't placed with any charges that would result in him being imprisoned. It was quite apparent to him now that the monster world and human world didn't run on entirely the same system of crime and punishment, since being a vigilante was not so frowned upon as it would be in the human world.

After the battle, he had helped his friends to the hospital—in disguise, of course—and before he could leave for his own place and get some rest, he was greeted by the academy's headmaster. The cloaked man asked the Arashi-Ninja to come with him to his office so they could speak in detail about the events that had occurred, seeing as the entire Youkai Academy had been under the pressure of Kuyou's youki and the Kyuubi's overwhelming chakra.

Kuyou was expelled from Youkai for several various reasons, including torture, unnecessary harm to students, arresting students with no evidence of law breaking, and a few others.

Naruto hopped through the tree line of the forest near the student dorms, monitoring the area as he did so. He smirked to himself as he saw a few banners hanging from dorm room windows like, 'Thanks, Ninja!' or 'We Love you, Arashi-Ninja!', among many others. It had only been three hours since he had taken out Kuyou and already the word had spread like wildfire.

"This must be what it feels like to be a hero, heheh." Naruto thought as he landed silently on the ground. He looked around once before dashing towards the boys' dorms, leaping up and running up the brick wall. He stopped at his dorm room window, slowly slipping his fingers through the small opening he had left before pulling the windows open all the way. He checked around once more before slipping through the window and quietly closing it.

"Phew..." Naruto exhaled as he pulled off his mask, "Well...I'm ready to call it a night."

"Should I leave then?"

"Waaa!"

Naruto fell back as he wheeled around to see none other than Mizore Shirayuki sitting on his bed comfortably. She had a sucker in her mouth, and it appeared she had been reading while waiting for him.

Naruto's face paled as he looked at what she had been reading.

_'Icha Icha Insanity, Draft One'_

"Wh-where did you find that?" Naruto sputtered while pointing at the thirty-seven pages of adult literature, not including the four pages of notes he had taken recently on the couples that were eating in the cafeteria two weeks ago, some 'cute' traits of the girls in homeroom, and a doodle of himself with a cape fighting a giant snake monster. He hoped she didn't get that far, especially to the doodle. The last thing he needed was for her to see his bad drawing skills.

"I saw the drawing." Mizore stated while holding up said picture, "It's cute."

Darn. Well, maybe she still hadn't seen...

"Do you think the way I always have a sucker in my mouth is cute?" Mizore added, a light blush adorning her face.

"I..." Naruto scratched his cheek, "...sort of didn't want anyone to see that quite yet. I haven't gone over it yet or proofread it yet, but it'll probably be another two hundred pages worth of material before I send it to Sa...er...my friend back home to edit. They're thinking of helping get the book published, and...okay, first off, how did you get into my room?"

Mizore smiled, "I'm that good."

Naruto found himself smiling too. Mizore was by far the most mysterious, yet alluring girl he had met. She was a rather beautiful girl, whether it was in human or Yuki-onna form. Either form had relatively little difference as far as physical appearance went, anyway. Weird how monsters managed to disguise themselves so well while others hardly needed to put forth any effort into hiding their appearances.

...monsters...

"So...what brings you here, Mizore-chan?" Naruto spoke, his voice a bit lower.

Mizore dog-eared the page she was on before setting it down on Naruto's bed and patting to the open spot to her left. He obliged her, and sat on the cushy mattress, the creaking of old springs filling the relative silence between the two.

"...how long have you been a Jinchuuriki?"

Naruto didn't even need to think about it, "My whole life. Since I was born."

"How did you get the Kyuubi...that's what you said it's called, right?"

"Yeah, Kyuubi works. Anyway, the Kyuubi was sealed inside me by my father on the night of my birth. I...don't really have a lot of details on that event. My godfather wasn't around during the time of the Kyuubi's attack on my home, so he could only tell me what little he heard from others. All the rest of my family is dead."

"What happened to your father and mother?"

"My father died sealing the fox inside me. My mother...she died the same night, though the reason behind her death is unknown. Likely from the Kyuubi attack...though I'm not sure."

Mizore looked down, "I'm...I'm sorry, Naruto. I shouldn't be bothering you with these questions."

Naruto gave her a sad smile, "I'm not angry, Mizore-chan. If anything, you and the others have a right to be mad. I lied to you guys."

"Yes, but you had your reasons." Mizore argued, "I mean, you're human, through and through, but the power of...a demon runs through your body as well. That's a hard thing to come to grips with, I suppose. I've heard about demons, but I never thought they'd exist within our world."

"What's the difference between a demon and a monster...well, I know there's differences but..." Naruto let his question hang in the air.

Mizore seemed happy to give him an answer though, "Demons are often less human than monsters are. Take Yukari, for example. She's a witch. A border-being, but still considered a 'monster'. If she wanted, someday she could marry a man and have happy, healthy children with that human. The same goes for most other monsters, excluding a few extreme cases that are more primal in nature and lacking in sentience."

"Alright...so, what about demons?"

Mizore nodded, "Demons are like monsters, but exponentially more powerful. At least, that's what my mother has told me. A true demon is more of a entity than a being with a sex like monsters. There are, of course, monsters that can be called 'demons' but that's not the case. It's entirely from a lack of human understanding. Though monsters and humans often live separate lives, we often adopt human terminology for our own categorizing."

"Wow..." Naruto scratched the back of his neck, "That's...a lot to take in."

"Mm." The silence that followed was a mixture of comfort and anxiety for the two. Several moments passed before Mizore continued, "Naruto...are you...a real shinobi?"

The blond looked up, and gave a chuckle, "Yeah. Well, as real as they come where I am from, anyway."

"Yukari said that there are legends of shinobi being able to do amazing things like create living forests with their inner powers, and control nature itself."

"Well, controlling nature is a bit far fetched, but my village's first leader was a master of Mokuton."

"Moku...ton?" Mizore repeated.

"Yeah. The Shodai Hokage was able to create living trees with his chakra. His brother, the Nidaime Hokage, was a master of water jutsu." He scratched the back of his neck while humming in thought, "I could explain more on chakra, but for now, let's leave it at a combination of spiritual and physical energy."

"I've never heard of humans being able to control this thing called chakra. Well, there are many who believe in an energy that gives life, and they call it chakra, but..." She shook her head, "...you make it sound like this chakra is a completely different thing."

"That's probably because I'm not from the human world you know of."

Mizore's mouth opened a bit, her sucker hanging off of her bottom teeth as she tried to find her voice, "What do you mean?"

"Well...um..." the blond exhaled deeply as he spoke, "I'm actually from a different...what was the word Tsunade-baachan used...dimension? I guess that works. Well, anyway, I'm from a parallel dimension of sorts, and due to various reasons, I was ordered to go to this dimension to stay safe..." Naruto's features darkened a bit, "I'm not sure that was the best idea, but...I can't do anything about it now." He looked out the window for a moment, as though experiencing a bad memory. Mizore didn't like seeing that look on his face.

"Naruto?"

Mizore shook the blond from his thoughts. He blinked before giving her a small smile, "S-sorry. Just thinking."

"About what?"

"Don't worry about it, Mizore-chan."

The Yuki-onna placed a hand over his, "Naruto, tell me."

"I..." He attempted to make his thoughts into words. After several seconds went by, he just groaned and began, "Well, I don't really _have_ a village to go back to now. It was...destroyed not too long ago by some very powerful ninja organization. They're called Akatsuki, and they've been after me for quite a few years now. As far as I'm aware, Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-chan, and Sai are the only people left from my home."

One thing after another with this blond, "Wh-why would an organization of ninja be after you?"

Naruto lifted his shirt, and Mizore took note of a strange spiral seal on his abdomen, "This is the seal that holds the Kyuubi in place; the Hakke no Fuuin Shiki. Whenever I channel chakra into it, it becomes visible." The blond stopped channeling chakra, and the inky black seal faded a bit, though Mizore could still see it faintly if she looked hard enough, "A lot of people I cared about lived in that village. They accepted me for who I was, regardless of the Kyuubi."

Two arms suddenly wrapped around Naruto, catching him by surprise. He jumped a bit, but eventually settled into Mizore's embrace.

"I care about you. You're not a demon, and you're not a monster. You may be a human, but you're still Naruto-kun. That's all that matters to me." She held him tighter, "I don't care what anyone else thinks. You're special to _me_."

Naruto felt the corner of his eyes moisten, and he placed his arms around the Yuki-onna, "I guess I'm still trying to get used to the fact that you're able to accept me being a Jinchuuriki so easily."

Mizore smiled, her cheek pressed against his shoulder, "I believe a certain someone said I was beautiful when they first saw _my_ true form."

Now he was blushing. Naruto's laughter could be felt as Mizore settled closer into his strong embrace, "That's true. You caught me off guard though. I was expecting something scarier from you, but even if that had been the case...I still would have saw you as my friend."

"...just a friend...?" Mizore whispered quietly into his ear.

The young shinobi was silent for a few seconds. He felt his smile grow into a grin as he held her tighter, "No, not just a friend. Maybe a girlfriend?"

"I like that." Mizore replied, "Girlfriend is nice. Does that mean you want to be my boyfriend?"

Naruto held her away for a few seconds, their bright blue eyes locked with one another, "I'd like to try that. I think it'd be great."

"Then I guess we're girlfriend and boyfriend now."

"Yeah..." Naruto agreed, "Oh, and yeah...I do think you look cute with that sucker in your mouth all the time."

~o~o~o~o~o~

By the time Mizore left for her bed back in the girls' dorms, it was about three in the morning. They had stayed up late into the night, talking about everything they could think of. Naruto told her bits of his past, from his days as a street urchin to the day he met up with his once-best friend Sasuke after more than two years had gone by since he defected Konoha. He told her of his dream to become Hokage someday, and how the dream may not be possible anymore. He told her of ramen, his days as a greenhorn Genin, and bits of his travels with Jiraiya.

Mizore told Naruto snippets of her childhood growing up in the snowy land where Yuki-onna resided. She spoke of her first crush, and how she was rejected by the boy the moment he learned that she was a monster. She talked of her talent in snowboarding, and her dislike of heat. She also mentioned something about wanting to bring Naruto to a certain field of flowers some day, though she never explained why. That was fine with him, though. He liked plants, flowers especially, though he never understood the whole 'language' behind them. They all just looked really nice in his eyes.

Before Mizore left, she told Naruto that she wanted to introduce him to her mother when the festival that would be happening later in the year was taking place. Apparently students would be having their parents and family coming to see the school and enjoy a plethora of activities during this event. While a part of him was nervous about meeting her mother, Mizore assured him that it would be fine.

"Hm..." Naruto was lying in his bed, looking at his right palm and flexing it. He had been holding back in his fight with Kuyou. He really didn't want to do any major damage to the place, especially with the risk of his friends being near. He tried resolving that by telling them to leave, but apparently they decided to be stubborn and just go to the end of the hall and watch from what they thought was a safe distance. He had to admit though, Kuyou had been a tough customer compared to the other monsters he had fought so far. He withstood the Rasengan rather well.

There were likely stronger monsters than Kuyou, too. There were always bigger snakes in the grass, as Gamakichi often put it. Speaking of Gamakichi...

"I better get in contact with the toads. We have a break coming up in about a month."

It was hard to believe that almost three months had gone by. Weeks seemed to pass by in the blink of the eye for Naruto now that he was on a set schedule with his classes. Another couple weeks or so and he'd have some time to himself. It was nice to know that he could have some time to relax a bit.

_"Well...more like time for training, heh."_ Naruto thought. He imagined that Kakashi, Sai, and Sakura would be expecting him to visit—which he would—but he was also going to start his training with the toads. He needed to master Sennin Mode.

For now though, he would get some rest. Luckily he had the foresight to do most of his homework before the whole mess with Kuyou. Which meant he could use the four to five hours he had before classes would start to get some rest.

~o~o~o~o~o~

"Hey, Uzumaki, is it true that the Arashi-Ninja was the one who stopped Kuyou?"

"Hm?" Naruto looked to see one of the male students in his Home Economics classes looking to him with a grin, "Why would I know?"

"Oh come on! You were in the Public Safety Commission's place when it happened, weren't you?" The boy laughed when Naruto scratched the back of his neck with a weak grin, "Haha! I knew it! Man, some of the students that were locked up said that you got Kuyou royally pissed! That's awesome!"

"W-well, I wouldn't say-"

"So, you must have seen the Arashi-Ninja, right?"

"Um, I may-"

"Of course he didn't see the Arashi-Ninja! If he did, then how could you call him a real ninja? Real ninja are good at staying hidden." piped in Kurumu, "_I _heard that the Arashi-Ninja managed to take down almost all the Student Police officers in almost total darkness! He even gave off a really powerful youki vibe...but I heard it was just an illusion of sorts."

"Huh, yeah, I guess that's probably true. Still, the Arashi-Ninja's awesome."

As soon as the boy left to continue working stitching up clothing, Naruto exhaled quietly, "Thanks a million, Kurumu-chan. I've been running on a few hours of sleep all day, and weight lifting in gym wasn't easy when I can't use chakra and didn't get anything to eat for breakfast." The blond gave her a tired grin, "I owe you one."

"I'll keep that one favor you owe me in mind for later then." She winked playfully, "Now let's get these jeans sewn back up."

The two were quiet for awhile before Naruto spoke again, "Hey, Kurumu...um, about me not telling-"

"It's okay. I spoke to Mizore this morning. Moka, Yukari, and myself all agree that while what you did was a bit stupid, you definitely were doing all of that for a noble cause." She leaned closer and whispered, "By the way, is it true that you and Mizore are a thing now?"

"Um...yes?"

"Aww, that's so cute!" Kurumu gushed.

"Heheh, I guess." Naruto chuckled quietly, "I like Mizore-chan...she's really understanding of things, and I can just be myself around her."

Kurumu nodded, "Just be sure to remember what date it was that you two decided to start being a girlfriend and boyfriend. That or when you have your first date."

"Huh? Um, okay, but why?"

"For the anniversary, silly. Some couples celebrate one month anniversaries, or maybe six month anniversaries, maybe even year-based anniversaries...you know what I mean?"

"I thought anniversaries were for...marriage and stuff."

Kurumu sighed a little, "Oh, Naruto..." She put down her needle and thread and faced him directly, "While I remembering dates isn't the most important thing in a healthy relationship, it does help to keep them in mind. It shows that you place a lot of meaning on the day you two became girlfriend and boyfriend."

"Okay...so what _is_ the most important thing in a healthy relationship?"

Kurumu gave a cheeky grin, "Depends. Some would say communication, others would say hot sex."

Naruto began to sputter incoherently while turning beet red, and looked down while mumbling to himself.

"Not sure with Mizore, though." Kurumu continued, "I think she'd be into a bit of both, mostly the latter."

"R-really?" Naruto spoke a little louder than he had intended, and ducked down when a few students looked towards him, "I-I mean...how can you tell?"

Kurumu giggled, "I'm just kidding, Naruto." The Succubus couldn't help but laugh harder when Naruto frowned in embarrassment, "Oh come on, don't be like that. I was just teasing."

Naruto folded his arms and gave a childish pout, "Hmph."

"Alright, I'm sorry. No need to get all bent out of shape over it." She returned to repairing the jeans in front of her when she was sure Naruto was done with acting like a little kid, "So, what are your plans for summer break?"

"I'm going to visit my family in Japan, and probably go do some training too."

"Training?" Kurumu raised an eyebrow before lowering her voice, "You mean...ninja stuff?"

Naruto gave a nod, "I plan on coming back a lot stronger, hopefully."

"Stronger? Than you were already?" She shook her head in disbelief while looking at her patch that she had stitched in, "You really are something, Naruto. Even Moka's inner self was looking a little awestruck when she saw you use your...um...fox's powers."

"Well...it's not like I was really given a choice with having the Kyuubi." Naruto spoke quietly, "I mean, I was given the seal for holding it in at birth."

"So...you had the Kyuubi inside you since you were a baby then?" She nodded to herself, "Yukari was talking to us after you left for the Headmaster's office, and she said that according to something she read, humans are most capable of adapting to a bijuu's...what do you call it...chakra?"

"Chakra, yep."

"Right, chakra, well, a child can adapt to the bijuu's chakra a lot better than a grown adult can." She tapped her chin in thought, "Something about chakra springs or something being burned when they're older."

"Heheh, I think you mean chakra coils, Kurumu-chan." Naruto gave her an apologetic smile when she stuck her tongue out at him, "You're right for the most part, though."

The Succubus gave Naruto a worried look, "So...does it ever...talk to you?"

"Once in awhile. Usually just when I need it's help or if it finds something that's of enough concern for it to wake up." Naruto answered with a shrug, "Kyuubi keeps to itself for the most part. We kind of have a mutual hatred for each other, but circumstances don't allow us to not be near each other. If we were separated, well..." Naruto made a slicing motion with his index finger over his throat.

Kurumu's eyes widened before she found her voice, "You'd..." Her voice dropped as she practically mouthed the next words, "..._die_...?"

"Uh huh. The seal on me is designed to take the Kyuubi with me to the grave. Whatever happens to me will affect the fox as well."

"Naruto..." Kurumu spoke softly, "...wow...I..."

"Don't sweat it too much. It would seriously take a _lot_ to make a dent in this seal from the outside, let alone drag out the Kyuubi."

The Succubus gave a nod as Naruto gave her a reassuring smile. This new knowledge of her friend's status as a Jinchuuriki was quite a lot to take in. Not only that but Moka had mentioned something about how Tsukune was worrying her. She had saved his life the other day, but apparently there was something off about the boy afterward. She said she felt an odd feeling from him, and stated that it could be from the blood running through his body that had once been hers.

After class, Kurumu and Naruto met with the group for lunch. Naruto decided to explain what he had to Kurumu to Tsukune, Moka, and Yukari as well. He told them all a little about how he was a ninja from another world as well, and that while he had special powers that seemed a bit unnatural, he was still human. It took a few minutes for the blond's words to settle in, but eventually they were able to come to terms with what he had told them. Why should it seem that odd for Naruto to be from another dimension considering that they were in an academy for _monsters_?

"Unfortunately, Tsukune, I don't think I'd be able to help you with chakra by this point in your life." Naruto stated, "Your chakra coils haven't gotten any serious use like mine have, so you probably wouldn't be able to do anything more than basic stuff like strengthening your muscles while fighting or giving yourself an weak boost in speed."

While Tsukune seemed a little put out by this information, he gave a nod, "I'd be interested in seeing how that would work for me."

"What about us?" Yukari asked, pointing to herself and the other three girls.

"I don't know. Honestly, I think there is some notable differences between chakra and youki. Here, watch..." Naruto opened his palm and flexed it a bit before a small ball of blue energy began to form, "This is a small sample of my chakra. You can feel it, right?"

Tsukune was the only one that couldn't feel it, though Naruto stated this was likely because he wasn't as sensitive to life forces like the girls were, since he was a human who had not trained in chakra use.

"Well, let's compare it with..." Naruto looked to Mizore, "Mizore-chan, can you maybe generate a little ice, but put more focus on your youki when you do?"

Mizore obliged and formed a small ice crystal in her hands. There was a noticeable pressure in the air near the six students as it got a little cooler, causing even Tsukune to let out a weak shiver.

"Now, you notice how we all felt that a bit? Youki seems to be more physical than chakra. It's...um...more..."

"Palpable?" Yukari suggested.

"Uh...yeah, I guess that's a good word; palpable. You can feel it a lot more easily than chakra, but like you guys saw when I was dealing with Kuyou, chakra can be just as strong as youki."

"I guess that makes sense." Moka added, "I remember when you used those techniques on Kuyou, it felt like there was a storm inside the building." She laughed when Naruto chuckled a bit, "You're really strong, Naruto-kun."

Naruto opened his mouth to give a word of thanks, but the sound of a dropping lunch tray and Tsukune groaning cut him off. The others all looked to the boy, who had gotten up and was now holding a hand up over his face, groaning in what sounded very much like pain.

"Tsukune?" Moka began, "Tsukune, are you-?"

"I'm fine, I just need to go use the bathroom." Tsukune spoke, getting up and leaving the others to their lunch.

"What's wrong with him?" Naruto thought as she saw the worried look on Moka's face, "Moka, what's wrong?"

"Well..." Moka began, "When Tsukune got attacked by Kuyou the other day...I injected some of my blood into his body to help him recover from what would have been fatal injuries. H-he...should have gone over a transformation of some sort, but he never did anything like that. I was worried that maybe something had happened, or that maybe that my blood's powers had worn off already, but...he has been acting a little odd all day."

The blond pushed his chair away from the table and got up, "I'll go check on him."

The four girls gave a nod of understanding as he began towards the direction Tsukune had taken to the boy's bathroom. Moka grabbed his wrist as he passed her, "Naruto. Be careful. H-he may be dangerous if the blood's effects are kicking in."

Naruto gave a stiff nod, "Right. I'll be ready for that."

As the blond left the cafeteria, the four shared looks with each other.

"We should go make sure he's alright." Moka said after a few seconds of silence had passed.

"I agree." Mizore added.

The four got up from the table as well, and like Naruto, followed the path Tsukune had taken out of the cafeteria.

~o~o~o~o~o~

Tsukune was leaning over one of the sinks. He had woken up to a rather odd dream that had bothered him a bit.

He was running through a dense forest. He was after something...or someone, but he wasn't quite sure. He could hear a voice, it sounded feminine, calling to him, telling him to find her.

Tsukune then found himself in a small meadow, and there sitting on a rock was Moka, her pink hair waving in a light breeze. She was smiling happily and beckoning to him. The strange thing was that Tsukune didn't want to go near her. He felt like something bad would happen if he did. Going against his gut instinct, Tsukune walked closer to her, and before he knew what he was doing, he had lunged at the pink vampiress and bit down into her neck. As he sank his teeth into her, however, he noticed her hair had gone from pink to stark white. The last image he had was of Moka with her rosary removed smiling at him before opening her own mouth and lunging out at his neck.

The worst part was that a part of him _liked_ the dream.

"There you are."

Tsukune looked up to see Naruto standing at the entrance to the hall outside the bathroom, "Naruto? Hey...look, sorry about earlier. I've just...ugh..." Tsukune was again leaning against the sink, "I don't know what's up with me, but I've been feeling horrible since this morning."

"Moka says it may be due to her injecting you with her blood." the blond replied, "She says that vampire blood tends to affect humans in some way or another..." He studied Tsukune as he continued, "...are you feeling...odd at all?"

"Well..." Tsukune began, "...my eyes keep hurting."

"Hurting? How?"

"Every thing is brighter than usual to me. Not only that, but I can smell a lot more things right now. The bathroom stalls smell horrid right now."

Naruto gave the air a sniff and nodded, "Okay, I guess that's understandable. Anything else?"

"N...not really." Tsukune shook his head, "That's about...gah!"

Naruto ran to Tsukune as his knees gave in and he fell to the tiled floor. He was gripping his face again, and sounded like he was dry-heaving, "Oi, Tsukune, what's-"

The blond felt the wind rush out of his lungs as he was punched hard in the gut by Tsukune. Damn it, he let his guard down. Shame on him, especially after Moka had warned him. Getting to his feet, he faced his friend and spoke calmly, "Gah, what was that for?"

Naruto's question was answered with a low growl from Tsukune. The boy lowered his hands and Naruto was met with a pair of slitted, crimson colored irises. To finish it off, Tsukune's hair began to change to a hue of silvery white.

"Tsukune?" Naruto said slowly, "You there?"

"Rrrrrrrrrrgh!" Tsukune snarled.

"So much for finishing lunch." Naruto thought aloud as Tsukune charged towards him.

**End of Chapter Nine: Vampire Tsukune strikes! The bathroom brawl begins! Yeah, so that's the Kuyou arc, done and over with. I tried to get that fighting done in one chapter, and I succeeded, I suppose. Definitely the longest chapter of this story thus far, heheh. On a sidenote, whoever can correctly guess which anime I got the song from that Naruto was singing while approaching Kuyou's interrogation chamber gets ten thousand awesome points...which don't really count towards anything but bragging rights...or...something.**

Now, I feel that I should answer a few questions that have been asked in reviews.  


**_(Inner) Moka x Naruto:_ Not really, but...well, Inner Moka will experience an increasing curiosity with Naruto's newly demonstrated strength, which will definitely spark _something_ between the two. Let's just say that she'll definitely want to get to know Naruto much more now.**

_**Return to Elemental Nations:**_** Yes, I have something planned for that. Naruto's not just going to train for Sennin Mode for hell of it. Who is going with him I haven't fully decided yet, but he won't be going alone, that much I'm sure of.**

_**Visiting Mizore's realm (Yuki-onna village):**_** Again, I have things planned for that.**

**_Rosario+Vampire part II in story:_ Of course.**

_**Kuyou dealing with Naruto being Kyuubi:**_** Well, personally I don't think Kuyou really would have had a clue about Naruto holding such a powerful bijuu within him. First of all, the Kyuubi is sealed within him, and normally one cannot feel the Kyuubi's chakra unless Naruto lets it leak out. Seeing as he's been trying to keep his true powers hidden, Naruto hasn't really shown more than a glimpse of the Kyuubi aside from the brief confrontation he had with Kuyou when they first met. That and I don't really think that Kuyou would be 'under the command' of Naruto just because he hold a nine-tailed demon fox within him. I see Kuyou's youkai species and the Kyuubi ****as two different categories, to be honest. I'll be going a bit further with explanations on how Naruto's homeworld is connected with the Youkai world and Tsukune's as well, which will explain a few things about how very few of the monsters know about Naruto and other humans like him.**

_**Arashi-Ninja and not killing: **_**Naruto just doesn't strike me as the kind of character to go and kill just because others do the same. The only kills I've legitimately seen so far from him was Pain, and those bodies weren't even alive to begin with. He defeated Kakuzu with the Rasenshuriken, but he just left him unable to move or use his chakra. Kakashi dealt the killing blow afterwards. In truth, I see Naruto as more of a guy who will use brute force to get his point across and make protect those he cares about, not take the life of someone, even if they do the same. Though, as many of us have seen, there have been cases where people have driven him to the point of wanting to kill. **

**Well, that's about it for this chapter. Thanks for tuning in, and keep your eyes peeled for more. Once again, to finish things up, I'd like to thank my awesome beta, Paradox Jast, for his help with this chapter. He's pretty good at making thing sound better, and is amazing at editing out the mistakes that escape my eyes when I'm typing out these chapters. Thanks Jast!**


	11. Of Vampires, Sages, and Sunflowers

**Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto, and Rosario+Vampire is the property of Akihisa Ikedha. I have to admit, I give Ikedha credit for managing to make a decent manga where vampires are sort of...well...living beings, and not dead, heh. Anyway, on with the chapter.**

**Rosario+Jinchuuriki  
Chapter Ten: Of Vampires, Sages, and Sunflowers**

Tsukune went flying out of the boy's bathroom before hitting the wall on the other side of the hallway. He got up and snarled, glaring at the one who had thrown him.

Naruto slowly stepped out of the bathroom, hands raised in front of him while he walked lightly on his feet, ready to move at a moment's notice, "Tsukune, I know you're still in there. If you can hear me, then-"

He was cut off as Tsukune ran towards the blond with reckless abandon. Naruto hopped back before catching him by the wrists and tripping him up and throwing him to the ground. Before he knew it, Tsukune was getting back to his feet, attempting to claw at at the ninja. The Jinchuuriki boy took a step back before kicking Tsukune in the jaw, knocking him onto his back. Blood was now on the floor, but Tsukune didn't seem to register the fact that his lip was bleeding. Once again he rose to his feet, but this time Naruto noticed he was not as fast as before.

"Grraaagh!"

Tsukune lunged towards the blond, who quickly sidestepped and gut checked the rampaging teen before spinning around him and kicking him in the back of the shoulder blades. Tsukune stumbled forward and groaned in pain while rubbing near the spots he had been struck.

_"Looks like he hasn't completely lost all of his senses. He definitely felt that."_

Naruto's thoughts were confirmed true as Tsukune looked up to Naruto, eyes red, but not glazed over in blind rage. Streaks of silver were starting to form within the brown hair, and his canines sharpened to a noticeable degree.

"A vampire?" Naruto thought aloud, "Damn...Moka's blood really does have an affect on Tsukune."

Tsukune's red irises suddenly seemed to focus more clearly, and he looked to Naruto in confusion, "Naruto? What's...?"

The blond lowered his guard a bit, "You were attacking me." He cautiously approached his fellow classmate, "Looks like Moka's blood seems to be wearing off a bit."

"Blood?" Tsukune repeated, "So, it wasn't just in my head..." He let out a groan before standing up, "I attacked you?"

"Yep," replied Naruto, "Moka said you may be a bit dangerous, so I was ready. I'm not sure what to make of it, but your appearance has changed a little. You kind of remind me of what Moka looks like when the seal's released."

Tsukune's eyes widened, and he quickly bolted into the bathroom. Naruto followed the distressed teen, who was now looking at his reflection in one of the bathroom mirrors, "I...how come she never told me this would happen?"

Naruto rubbed his chin, "She seemed a bit worried, but apparently the effects of vampire blood are almost immediate. My guess is that the blood spent _most_ of its power on healing you after that incident with Kuyou, but those teeth, silver hair, and eyes may be some of the remaining power cycling through you."

"So...you mean, I became a vampire?"

Naruto shrugged, "Looks that way. I'm...sure it'll wear off with time."

"I sure hope so..." Tsukune stated as he pulled back his upper lips to reveal fangs, "At least my eyes aren't hurting with the light anymore...ugh..." Tsukune pinched his nose suddenly, "Someone really needs to clean this bathroom."

The shinobi raised an eyebrow at Tsukune's comment, and channeled a small amount of chakra to his nostrils before scrunching up his face, "Yeah, the stalls kind of stink."

"Damn...what are we going to do about this?" Tsukune inquired, tugging lightly at his now completely silver hair, "People will notice if I go out like this."

"Hmm..." Naruto leaned against the wall as he thought, "Kind of sucks that you can't use chakra to make a henge. I'd teach you what I could...but your coils are past the time where it's possible to begin chakra training. You've got enough going through you to live, maybe enough to possibly increase your physical strength and speed, but that's it."

"Huh?"

Naruto blinked before laughing, "Sorry, ninja-speak. Don't mind me."

"Okay..." Tsukune frowned, "So, what do we do?"

Naruto's eyes lit up as an idea began forming within his mind, "Okay, here's what we're going to do..."

~o~o~o~o~o~

"Naruto...this isn't going to-"

"Tsukune, why did you go and die your hair like that? I mean, sure, silver is cool and whatnot, but I think you went a bit far." Naruto interrupted, his voice sounding like he was reading lines off a teleprompter very badly.

Tsukune sighed, giving into Naruto's idea, "I don't know, Naruto. You know how I am with my silly impulsive ideas."

The two turned around the corner to see the girls heading their way. Moka's eyes were the first to widen as she noted Tsukune's appearance. Before she could voice her concerns, Naruto spoke especially loud, "We should go and speak to the girls and see _what can be done to get rid of that silver __hair which clearly was done with hair dye and isn't naturally like that_."

The girls, thankfully, caught on. Kurumu spoke first, "Wow, Tsukune, that's some interesting hair you got there." Then the Succubus noted the red irises of the transformed boy, "You also got some red contact lenses. Wow, are you trying to go for a new look?"

Tsukune laughed nervously, "Heheh, I guess I am. It's the latest fad...or...something."

Naruto leaned forward suddenly, his voice dropping to a whisper, "We need to get him looked at. Now."

Moka nodded, "I-I'll see what I can do. The blood's effect should wear off soon, though. Come on, Tsukune."

"I'll go with, too!" Yukari piped in, "I'm sure we can find a book in the library on why this happened."

Mizore and Kurumu were about to follow but stopped when the Yuki-onna noticed a gash running down Naruto's arm, "Ah, Naruto-kun. You're bleeding!"

The blond blinked in confusion before looking at his left arm. He raised it up to see a thin line of red running down his arm to his hands, "Huh...Tsukune must have nicked me. Didn't notice it." He waved off the two, who were trying to get a better look at the cut, "Don't worry about it. I've suffered worse and turned out alright."

"It could get infected." Kurumu protested.

"I'm pretty sure I've built up an immunity to almost everything that could get me sick. Trust me." The blond replied with a grin, "Go make sure that Moka and Yukari are alright. Tsukune's fine now, but he was attacking me earlier. We don't need another incident like that to happen."

The girls gave a nod and followed the three heading towards the library, Mizore stealing glances over her shoulder every so often, unsure if it was alright to leave Naruto by himself.

Once they were gone, Naruto let out a sigh, "Damn. That saved me some trouble..." He stretched a bit and looked to his wound once more, which had already started to close up, "Hm. That was a lot deeper than I thought. Looks like he got more of Moka's powers than I thought."

Naruto found his stomach growling, so he decided to head back to the lunch room and finish his meal. He was relieved to find it still there and untouched. He scarfed down what was left within ten minutes, and decided to sit and relax for the remainder of the period.

The rest of the day went by rather uneventfully, though he took note that Moka and Tsukune weren't in Math class. While he understood the circumstances, it was a pain for him nonetheless. Now he actually had to pay attention so he could take notes for them.

After the excruciating torture that was high school level algebra, the blond made his way home, having no classes for the rest of the day. He planned on taking a short break before heading over to the dojo to get a bit of practice in with Haji and the other members of the Karate Club.

About half way to the dorms, he felt the subtle presence of several individuals following him from a distance. If it weren't for the fact that they were trying to hide their presence, then maybe he wouldn't have gotten suspicious.

He looked behind him, not surprised in the least to see no one following. He yawned before continuing down the path lined with trees to the boys' dorms.

_"Hm. Maybe they're expecting me to be prepared for an ambush? Guess they're more cautious than I thought."_

He stopped short when four guys that stood a few inches taller than him walked out in front of his path. The ninja raised an eyebrow, and smirked upon recognizing the face of Saizou, the blundering behemoth of a monster that fought Naruto when he had just started becoming friends with Tsukune and Moka.

"Oh, hey there, Saizou. How are you doing?"

"Tch, cut the crap, Uzumaki. You should have known that I'd come back for you."

Naruto gave a mock frown, "Ouch. You cut me deep, Saizou-kun. I was hoping we could put the past behind us. Hell, if you want, the Karate Club's always looking for new recruits, and I know for a fact you could use some help with your fighting-"

The shinobi ducked suddenly as he felt a blade of some sort graze over the tips of his hairs. He spun around to trip up his ambusher, but they were apparently more agile than he thought. The mystery attacker jumped back and gave the blond a calm smile, "So, you're as skilled as they say, Uzumaki."

Naruto found himself now surrounded by five males that seemed eager to give him a beating. He didn't even feign concern though, instead facing towards the newcomer, "Alright, what's this all about? I don't take kindly to people trying to lob my head off." He gave a nod to the right arm of his attacker, which was shaped like a fleshy scythe of sorts. Naruto was betting that it was part of the guy's youkai powers.

"Ah, sorry, I guess I got a bit carried away there." The newcomer spoke, "I'm Kiria Yoshii, a member of ANTI-THESIS. According to what Saizou here says, you're a friend of Moka Akashiya and Tsukune Aono."

"That's old news. What's it to you?"

"Well, we've been given very reliable leads on those two. From what we've been told, both of them are vampires." Kiria replied in a calm voice, "Care to confirm that?"

Naruto kept his features schooled into a look of mild annoyance. They knew of Tsukune too? Well, then again, Tsukune _did_ say he was a vampire to Saizou when he was being bullied by the delinquent. Were they going off that lead?

"I don't bother them about their true forms." Naruto replied, "Is that all? I have a club meeting in less than an hour and I don't like to be late."

Without warning, one of the five surrounding him lunged forward, his arms transforming into pincer-like claws. Naruto quickly jumped out of the way, and dealt a successful kick to the face of one of the other students. He made a break for it, deciding to try and lose them rather than engage directly.

He took to the trees, leaping as fast as he could, sensing the youki of his five pursuers growing steadily weaker. Eventually, Naruto halted on the bough of a tree and watched the ground below. About a minute passed and two of the members could be seen heading down the pathway leading to the boys' dorms.

"Gah, damn it! He got me right in the eye!" growled the taller of the two, who Naruto immediately recognized as Saizou. He bit down a chuckle, intending on keeping his location hidden.

"Maybe if you weren't so weak you would have stopped him, Saizou." grumbled his comrade. Saizou looked ready to retort, but bit his tongue. Obviously this guy held some kind of authority within their group.

"He's stronger than he looks, Midou. Hell, Kiria was interested the moment we mentioned the guy's name. Obviously Kiria knows something about him that we don't." Saizou replied, "It's like he's keeping us in the dark-"

"He's got his reasons!" Midou snarled, turning towards Saizou, "You'd be smart to keep your nose out of his business. We've got one goal anyway, so the sooner we get rid of all the pure-breeds, the better."

The two continued down the road, unaware that their quarry had been no more than fifteen feet above them in the foliage of the trees. After feeling that the coast was clear, Naruto continued onward to the dorms, sticking to the trees to avoid any further encounters with the monsters.

_"ANTI-THESIS...sounds like these guys have something against pure-breed monsters." _Naruto thought as he silently ran up the side of the dorm building before opening his window and slipping inside, _"Looks like I'll have to up my patrol time for Youkai again."_

Naruto was surprised to find that he had no further problems with the ragtag group of monsters. They either gave up or were looking for him somewhere else now. Hell, they could be waiting for him outside the dojo right now.

Still, Naruto had to give himself a pat on the back. About a year ago, he probably would have been a moron and tried to take on the five by himself. Sure, he would likely have beaten them in a fight, but there would have been repercussions for doing so. Students may have noticed, some may have even suspected him to be the Arashi-Ninja. He already had enough close calls as it was.

There was also the fact that by beating those five, more would have come after him. He didn't need that right now. Especially with exams around the corner.

Luckily, no one was waiting for him outside the gymnasium. He walked into the building, and headed towards the dojo, intent on getting some thorough practice in. After all, he was a first degree black belt now. He could not afford to be slacking off.

~o~o~o~o~o~

"Tyaaah!"

_Crack!_

The Karate Club stood in mild awe as Naruto destroyed several concrete blocks with a single, well executed punch. Sure, they could do it as well if they summoned some of their true powers, and Haji was obviously able to break through seven cinder blocks without much difficulty...

...but Naruto had done this five times now and wasn't even complaining.

"Naruto, if I didn't know any better I'd swear you're not made of flesh and bone, heh." Haji commented as he shook his head, "You have got to be the only first year to do that in the entire history of our organization."

"Bah, you're just saying that." Naruto joked, earning a laugh from a few of the members, "I owe it all to you guys though. I never had a solid form of martial arts under my belt until now, no pun intended."

"Alright, well, that wraps up today's meeting. If we all keep improving at this rate, the other schools will stand no chance against us." Haji stated, "Great work everyone."

Naruto headed towards the exit, only to stop when he saw a flash of light purple and blue. A few of the members noticed this, and gave whistles upon seeing the blond looking to Mizore. He blinked before blushing, flipping his fellow club members the one-finger salute, and then grinned while turning to the Yuki-onna once more. Mizore returned the smile with one of her own, and met him halfway as he made his way to the doors.

"Did you have a good practice?" Mizore asked.

"It was pretty good. I guess Haji-senpai is considering giving me a roster position when we start actual meets."

The Yuki-onna nodded as she kept pace with her boyfriend, "I watched you breaking those cinder blocks. I'd say I'm surprised that you're that strong, but...well, I've seen much more than that already."

A few of the upperclassmen passing by chuckled, taking Mizore's statement out of context. Naruto tried to ignore the winks and thumbs up they gave him as they passed by, yet Mizore only seemed to make it worse with her giggling.

"Mizore..." Naruto began, "...watch what you say in front of the guys."

"It's true, though. You're very talented and have _lots_ of stamina."

One of the third year students tripped over himself as he turned sharply to Mizore while a fellow first year smacked into a door.

Naruto's cheeks turned pink with embarrassment as he looked down. He felt Mizore's hand intertwine with his own, and looked to see her smiling, "Naruto, I'm sorry for teasing you."

The blond gave a small chuckle, "It's fine. I'll probably just have to deal with the other guys giving me a hard time in club for a little while."

"Hm. You're smiling, though."

"What can I say? I'm a lucky guy." Naruto answered, "I've got you for a girlfriend, I'm in the Karate Club..."

It was the Yuki-onna's turn to blush this time, gazing away as she spoke quietly, "Naruto-kun..."

Naruto squeezed the girl's hand gently, and she looked to face the blond, "It's true though. I'm glad you're my girlfriend."

"We've only started dating. You sure about that?"

"I'm a good judge of character." Naruto began, "Besides, a girl who can deal with me is a good person in my book, heheh."

The two continued towards the dorms, stopping once they reached the fork in the road where they would part. Mizore smiled before speaking, "Do think my hair would look good shorter?"

"This again? Mizore-chan, I think your hair would like fine long or short. You do what you want, I'll like it all the same."

Mizore frowned, "So...should I keep it long?"

"You know what? I think change is always a nice thing. Go ahead and shorten it if you want. Just don't ask me to cut your hair. I'd probably mess it up."

The Yuki-onna giggled, "I'll keep that in mind. Speaking of which..." She tugged gently on Naruto's bangs, "You could use a trim as well."

"H-hey, I just said you can do what you want with your hair. How come I need to get a haircut?"

"Because I won't be able to see your eyes before much longer."

Naruto looked at his bangs and pouted, "My hair's fine."

"We'll see what Kurumu can do. She's had a little experience working on hair with her mom, I guess." Mizore sighed as she ran a hand through Naruto's mane of golden hair, "Naruto-kun?"

"Hm?" Naruto asked quietly as Mizore's face neared his.

"If...well...do you think I'll still look beautiful when I get older?"

"Random question, but yes, I think so." Naruto replied, "If kids are supposed to take after their parents, I'd say I did that. I look a lot like my mom...though I got my dad's hair."

"I've never seen what your parents look like." Mizore smiled, "Do you have pictures?"

The blond gave a nod, "A couple. If you want, I can show you a few sometime. You can even see what I looked like when I was a kid."

"I'm sure you were a troublemaker." Mizore joked.

"One of the biggest ones there ever was."

"Heheh, not surprised."

The two stood in comfortable silence for a few moments before they shared a small kiss. Mizore couldn't help but find the way Naruto's cheeks flared up adorable as he began to stutter, "W-well, I better get going. I-I need to change and clean up, then get some reading done for language class tomorrow, heheh."

"Alright. Stop by later if you want."

"I think I might."

Mizore wrapped her arms around Naruto once more, and the young shinobi returned her embrace with a content sigh.

He liked this. He found himself becoming more and more addicted to the physical contact Mizore gave him. She was a rather quiet girl when you first met her, but after they became a couple, she was a rather open individual. She wasn't afraid to show how much she cared about him, and being who he was, the blond had received little physical affection outside of that from Tsunade back in Konohagakure. He had received pats on the head from Iruka and the Sandaime from time to time, the occasional congratulatory pat on the shoulder from Kakashi, and Jiraiya would give him a friendly punch on the arm or ruffling of hair when he did well, but...

Mizore was surprisingly warm for a being who claimed to have power over ice and snow.

As for the Yuki-onna, she could probably fall asleep leaning in Naruto's arms if she wanted. The muscles of his abs were easily felt underneath his karate uniform, and his arms gave her a feeling of warmth and contentment that she never had before. She took in a content breath, and her nose crinkled a bit.

"You smell." She commented.

"Heh, that's the smell of hard work." Naruto laughed, "Like I said, I need to shower."

The two eventually let go of each other, "I'd like you to stop over later. Maybe we can get Kurumu to cut your bangs."

"Again with the haircut," Naruto groaned, albeit with a small smile, "Alright...if it means that much, I can probably spare with an inch of lost hair."

"Then I'll see you later."

With that, the two went down their respective paths. Mizore watched Naruto as he made his way back to the dorms, and once he was a small speck near the entrance of the boys' dorms, she sighed.

She had almost done it again. She was going to question him about where he saw them as a couple years from now. At the last second she decided against it, knowing that the question would have probably scared him a bit. It was much too soon to ask such questions. The snow girl could not help it though; her race ingrained such thoughts at an early age. Procreation was a very necessary thing for them, since they had a limited time frame to have children.

Sooner rather than later she'd have to start thinking seriously about such things. Still, the fact that her mother knew she was dating a boy that was like Naruto was a good thing. The Snow Priestess back home would be pleased about such news, and would likely keep the girl from being paired up with some random stranger for a possible fiancé.

She made her way towards her dorm, deciding to put such thoughts aside for the time being. Right now she was going to concern herself with how much of her hair she should have cut. She'd have to consult the other girls about such a matter.

~o~o~o~o~o~

"Oi, boss, math's done."

Naruto looked up from his book, and grinned, "Awesome. Go ahead and dispel if you want."

The clone set down the notebook and dispersed in a cloud of smoke. Naruto closed his eyes and hummed, "Damn...those problems took a lot more work than I thought they would. Still..." He sighed while rubbing his left temple, "Stupid polynomials..."

With the clone's memories and the accompanying headache fresh in his mind, the blond closed his book. He was more or less done reading, and had just gone over a few pages a second time to make sure he got everything down. Language Arts was alright for him; not as fun as gym, and not as interesting as Home Economics, but it wasn't Math.

The blond looked at the clock, and was a bit surprised to see it was going onto nine in the evening. He would be leaving for Mizore's shortly, but he still wasn't keen on the idea of getting his hair cut.

"Maybe if I bring Tsukune along, he can provide me with backup."

Naruto exited his room, locking the door and walking down the hall towards Tsukune's room. He reached the door and knocked. The door opened to reveal Tsukune, toothbrush in hand, "Oh, Naruto, what's up?"

"Not much. I was going over to see Mizore, and I'm pretty sure the moment I get there the girls are going to try and gang up on me and make me get my hair trimmed."

Tsukune laughed, "I guess Moka wasn't the only one then, huh?"

"...so there was a conspiracy." Naruto joked, "What'd Moka say?"

"She said my hair is not too long, but it could use a trim on the sides and back." He frowned as he pulled on his sideburns, "Do _you_ think it's too long?"

"Nope, not that it's really my place to worry about such things."

"I figured as much." Tsukune turned back to his dorm room, "Come on in. I was actually going to head over to work on an article with the girls in a few minutes."

"It's a trap." Naruto stated with a nod, "I guarantee it."

"Why are you worried? You can get out of a situation like that, can't you?"

"Sure, but I'm not too keen on facing the girls after I run off on them. Who knows what they'd do. Yukari seems like she's got a mean streak to her; I'd rather not test to see what she'd do with that wand of hers."

"Ah, good point."

After Tsukune had finished brushing his teeth, the two headed to the girls' dorms.

"So, Tsukune...how are things going with you and Moka?"

"Hm?" Tsukune looked to his friend before smiling, "Good, I guess. I mean, we've been hanging out quite a bit lately."

"So...have you asked her out yet?"

Tsukune laughed sheepishly, "No, I haven't."

"Well, why not? She's a pretty girl, she obviously likes you, and above all of that, you and her are close to each other already."

Tsukune raised an eyebrow, "You think she'd like to go out with me?"

"Tsukune, I'd slap you if you weren't such a nice guy." Tsukune gave Naruto a confused look, "Yes, she would most likely, almost one hundred percent, go out with you."

"Oh...well..." Tsukune scratched his cheek, "I guess I could ask her."

"There you go!" Naruto smiled widely, "Tsukune is finally growing up."

"H-hey, come on, Naruto, give me a break, will you?"

The blond laughed while giving Tsukune a half-hearted apology. They soon found themselves in front of the girls' dorms, "So...it's agreed that if they team up on us with hair trimming supplies that we leap out of the window, right?"

"Naruto, I'm not a ninja..."

Naruto blinked before grumbling, "Hm, I guess we could always just bolt out the door and make a break for it..."

They made their way up the steps to the floor where Moka and Mizore's rooms were. The two stood at the door of Moka's for a brief moment before Tsukune took in a deep breath and knocked. There was a rustling heard from within before the door opened a bit, pink hair and the cute face of Moka poking out from the crack, "Oh, Tsukune...and Naruto-kun!" She opened the door fully, "We weren't expecting you for awhile."

Naruto's eyebrow arched up, "You were expecting us both?"

"Moka, where is your barber kit again?"

Moka grinned while Tsukune and Naruto both gave her a hopeless look, "I said it's behind my dresses in the closet, Mizore!"

"I don't...oh, never mind, I found it!"

Moka turned back to her two friends and smiled warmly, "Want to come in?"

"I'm allergic to scissors."

Moka gave Naruto a rare flat look, "Naruto-kun, Mizore's right about your hair; it's getting long."

"Ah screw it, this was going to happen anyway."

As he entered, Naruto noted that the vampiress's dorm room was larger than either his room or Tsukune's. Upon walking into the dining area, he was greeted by Kurumu and Yukari, who were setting up two hair trimming spots, likely for Tsukune and himself.

"Their window's open..."

"Don't try it, Naruto." Tsukune said under his breath.

"Oh, Naruto-kun," spoke the voice of Mizore. Naruto turned to her and his voice caught in his throat, "I didn't think you'd stop here first. I was going to head to my room and see if you were there."

"O-oh, hey Mizore, um, yeah, Tsukune and I decided to go here together; he mentioned something about his hair getting cut too...so uh..." He stared at her for a moment before smiling, "I like what you did with your hair."

Mizore's hair had been trimmed to shoulder length. He noted that her it was poking out in a few different directions with the loss of length that would have held it down. He found himself liking the new look a lot.

Mizore noticed his gaze and smiled, blushing a little, "Thanks. Kurumu helped with it."

"That's right, and you're next in line, Naruto."

The ninja sighed in defeat as the Succubus held a pair of scissors in hand, "Fine, just don't take off too much."

~o~o~o~o~o~

Naruto brushed a hand over his now shortened hair. He smiled a bit before turning to Kurumu, handing her the mirror she had let him borrow "I like it!"

Kurumu rolled her eyes while laughing, "I told you that you would." She walked up to him, and looked him over, making sure his hair was even on either side of his head, "Hm...Mizore, what do you think?"

The Yuki-onna gave Naruto's new haircut a once over before nodding, "I think it's great." She turned to Moka, who was putting on some finishing touches with Tsukune's hair, "How's it going over there for you, Moka?"

"We've just finished." The vampire girl answered, pulling off the towel tied around Tsukune's neck, "Not too big of a change, but it's good enough."

After having a cup of tea made by Moka while the group discussed an article for the upcoming issue of the school newspaper, the boys prepared to leave. Naruto stopped at the door and looked back, "Oh, by the way, I figured you all should be aware of this. I was approached by a bunch of guys who say their from a group called ANTI-THESIS. That Saizou jerk is among them. They're a group of hybrids...whatever, I don't know the proper term, but they're not what I guess some would call 'pure-blooded'." He had adorned his 'business' tone now, "Just keep your eyes peeled...they seemed interested in you two." Naruto gestured to Tsukune and Moka, "I'll keep tabs on them as much as I can, but...I'm only one guy, even with my Shadow Clones."

"You mean they're after Tsukune-kun and Moka? Just like the Police Committee?" Kurumu asked, "Why?"

"No clue other than the fact that they asked about Tsukune's vampire-condition." He scratched his head while looking up, "Apparently they're following rumors, and Tsukune's lie that he told to Saizou at the time must have helped fuel this current problem of ours. My guess is that they're either out for revenge on Saizou's behalf, or they're just trying to make a statement. "

"Statement?" Yukari repeated, "In what way?"

"Simple; if they can take down two vampires, they can take on strong monsters." the blond answered, "Just be careful, I guess."

"What about you, Naruto?" Mizore questioned.

"_Naruto's_ not doing anything. The Arashi-Ninja's taking care of all of this." Naruto replied, "For now, I'm going to lay low and see what develops. It looked like they were all of school age, so I'm certain that they're students here. Can't be too sure, but I'm willing to bet the vast majority of them are."

"What if they try to confront you again? Or Tsukune, or Moka?" Kurumu looked to Tsukune before returning to the blond, "The last thing we need is someone getting hurt."

Naruto's lips curled into a small smile, "I'm a shinobi. I can handle a few thugs if they attack me. After all, I'm in the Karate Club, so it wouldn't be _that_ surprising if I manage to take them down in a scuffle."

"Maybe, but it's still-"

"Mizore-chan, trust me on this one. What you saw when I fought Kuyou was only a sample of what I can use that's at my disposal."

The others all went quiet, looking at Naruto with a mixture of disbelief and awe, "Y-you're serious?"

"Yes, Yukari-chan, I am." Naruto's voice was void of its usual cheerfulness, "The Kyuubi no Youko is a beast that has nearly limitless power."

"That's not...possible...all things have a limit." Yukari protested.

"Okay, so I guess it's not _limitless_...but it makes the youki of a vampire like Moka-chan seem like a speck of dust standing next to a mountain."

Moka looked down to her rosary, which shook a bit, "Um...Ura-chan says that she's not to be taken so lightly."

Naruto shrugged, "Just saying, Moka-chan...you're strong, but...Kyuubi is raw power incarnate. It's made from malice, hatred, and all the negative emotions you can think of, along with chakra." He sighed, "I _think_ that's how Ero-Sennin put it for me once..."

"So...we just sit around and do nothing, then?" Kurumu asked, "Naruto, isn't that just like asking for them to attack?"

Naruto shook his head, "No, it means that you're acting like you're unaware of their plans. Faking ignorance can sometimes be an advantage."

The four youkai girls and Tsukune all seemed like they were not entirely for the plan, but they decided to not argue any further; after all, Naruto seemed to have been through stuff like this before. That, and who seriously wanted to argue with a ninja?

Not smart people, that's for sure.

~o~o~o~o~o~

Before Naruto knew it, the break had started. He was relieved to have not encountered any other major problems while patrolling Youkai Academy as the Arashi-Ninja, and only had to deal with the usual upperclassmen bullying underclassmen, and other such cases. Even these were, however, becoming less common.

Mizore had left with the Newspaper Club, stating that the group was going to the human world to take a break and possibly write up a paper on the city-life of human beings. That had been about twenty minutes ago, and Naruto was now looking around to make sure that he was the only one within the area. After confirming with the dispelled memories of his Shadow clones that he was indeed alone, he made a few seals and placed a palm towards the ground. Soon he was standing on the top of Gamikichi's head, "Huh? Oh, Naruto! Hey, what's up?"

"I was just wondering if Fukasaku was ready for me to begin training with him." answered the blond, "I've got about two weeks to train, and if I get done early I'd like to visit Sakura, Kakashi, and Sai in Japan."

Gamakichi smirked, "Finally want to get out of here and cut loose, huh?" He gave a nod before making hand seals, "Give me a few minutes to inform Fukasaku-sama." He dispersed in a puff of smoke, leaving Naruto standing alone once more.

Five minutes passed before Naruto felt a sudden pull on his navel. He suddenly found himself within the world of the Toad Summons; Mount Myouboku.

"Naruto-chan, good to see you again, my boy."

Naruto looked down to see the familiar green toad elder, "Hi, Fukasaku-sama." He punched a fist into his open right palm, "I'm raring to go and get started with this Senjutsu training." He heard Gamakichi laugh as the larger orange toad made a comment sounding like 'typical' Naruto.

Fukasaku gave a toothless smile to the blond, "Right, right. Well, it's still light out. I suppose that it's best to start now rather than later." The green toad hopped off towards a mountain trail, "Well, let's get moving, Naruto-chan. We're going to begin with getting you acquainted with nature's energy."

"Nature's energy?" Naruto repeated before grinning, "You mean I'm going to be able to draw upon nature's powers?"

The three continued up the trail, Fukasaku and Gamakichi explaining together about the intricacies of Senjutsu. It made Naruto's head spin a little, but he understood it for the most part. He assumed this was due to the fact that he was a lot more accustomed to lectures ever since he had started being a student at the Youkai Academy.

Before long, the three stopped at a small fountain of sorts. Naruto noticed the water was an odd color, and there was a faint smell in the air. It smelled...almost like...

"Is that...oil?"

Fukasaku nodded to Naruto, "Yep! That's the sacred oil fountain where you'll start you're training. Now, it's going to be an odd experience at first, and there are risk involved with using the oil..."

"Risks?" Naruto repeated, "Like what?"

"For starters, you'd turn into a toad!" Gamakichi blurted out, receiving a sharp glare from Fukasaku.

"Toad?" Naruto took a step back from the oil fountain, "What do you mean?"

"Unfortunately, what Gamakichi says is true." the elder toad gestured to several gigantic stone statues of toads, "Those statues that you see over there are actually the petrified bodies of others who had attempted to reach the state of Sage as well, and failed."

"You're joking, right?"

"No, not in the least, Naruto." Fukasaku hopped over to the oil fountain and dipped a hand in, letting the liquid run through his webbed fingers, "This oil holds the power of nature in it, more or less, and is the quickest way to become adjusted to the power of nature. However, you must remain focused, and not lose that concentration when you meditate. Do so, and you'll become petrified as well."

"You're not making this Sage Mode sound very appealing." Naruto commented as he eyed the fountain, "How did Ero-Sennin manage to do this?"

"Don't worry about the whole statue thing, Naruto-chan." Fukasaku held up a stick that he seemed to have pulled out of nowhere, "This stick is going to help me keep you from transforming. If I notice you beginning to become like a toad, I'll knock the nature chakra right out of you by thwacking it over your head."

"...again, not helping sell this Sage Mode to me." Naruto frowned, "Maybe I-"

"Perhaps a demonstration is in order." Fukasaku suggested, " Naruto, try to lift up that statue right over there."

"Huh? Oh, well...alright." Naruto walked over to a fairly large stone statue, and took in a deep breath before crouching down and attempting to lift. After several strained seconds, he managed to do nothing more than waste his energy, "No use..."

"Right, now, watch me." Fukasaku hopped over to the very same statue, stopping before it and closing his eyes. A few seconds passed before he opened them, and crouched down to grip the bottom of the statue. With a mighty heave, he not only moved the statue, but also managed to lift it up off the ground, "See? With nature chakra, you're capable of doing amazing feats with just your own physical strength!" The elderly toad gently placed the toad statue back onto the ground, "So, what do you say?"

Naruto gave a grin, "Well, I guess I don't have any other choice, huh? After all, if I don't do it, who will?"

"That's the spirit!" Fukasaku laughed, "Alright, now remove your shirt and pants, you'll have to stay in your boxers for this, that way the oil can come into contact with as much of your body as possible."

Okay, so maybe this was still a bit more than Naruto had bargained for.

~o~o~o~o~o~

"Waaah, this place is beautiful!"

The Newspaper Club was currently standing before an expansive field of sunflowers. It was truly a breathtaking sight, especially to the young youkai girls. Aside from Moka, the girls had no real experience of being in the human world. Sure, Mizore's world bordered with that of the humans, and Kurumu's mother had taken her to human cities when she was but a little girl, but they never had really lived in such places before. So, it came as a bit of a surprise when they were greeted with such a beautiful scene when they took a look at their destination; the Witch's Ranch.

"So...why do they call it the 'Witch's Ranch', anyway?" Kurumu asked, "Yukari, do you have any idea why?"

The others looked to the youngest member of their group, waiting for an answer. She had been rather quiet for most of the time, and none of them could truly blame her for her silence. She was a nervous wreck, but she was masking it fairly well for a girl her age. No doubt it was her fear of what she would experience if she were to run into humans. The historical witch hunts weren't all just based on superstition, after all. Some witches, both innocent and guilty, were killed by burning at stakes, charged for murdering virgins, stealing souls, and so on.

"I...don't think I've ever heard of this place." Yukari stated after a few moments of continued silence, "I wouldn't be too surprised, though. Witches draw their power from nature, so this flower field may be a product of magic."

"Huh..." Tsukune was currently out of earshot, walking through the tall flowers and admiring the view from up close, "I wonder if Moka would like some of these."

"Perhaps you should give her one and find out."

"Gyaaah!" Tsukune jumped up in surprise before whirling around, "M-Mizore! Don't do that!"

"Bad habit. Sorry." Mizore apologized with an amused smile, "As I was saying, though, you should give her a flower. I'm sure she'd appreciate it."

"Yeah...yeah, that'd be...wait, no, I can already see what would happen as a result of that." He sighed, "Kurumu and Yukari would probably get jealous, and I'm sure you can connect the dots from there."

"Mm. So instead of telling the girl you care about how you feel, you're going to just let it be?" Mizore shook her head, "Tsukune, I expect better of you."

"Are you lecturing me?"

"Yes."

"Look, you know the situation I'm-"

"Excuses." Mizore stated, "If you're that worried about it, I'll drag Kurumu with me and we'll pick some flowers to make salted sunflower seeds for snacks later."

"You're right, Mizore." Tsukune let out a deep breath, "I'll do it!"

"Go get 'em, Tsukune." She cheered half-jokingly, "Don't falter, otherwise you'll just make it awkward."

"Not helping!" Tsukune grumbled as he chose a flower, and snapped it off the base.

He didn't, however, expect the plant to shake.

"Huh?"

"Kyaaaaah!"

The brunet and Yuki-onna followed the scream of Kurumu, only to find her, Yukari, and Moka being attacked by...

"Are those...plants?"

Mizore frowned, "These aren't normal plants." She spun around suddenly, flicking an icicle kunai at a leafy mass, which let out a scream before falling over, flailing about in pain, "Tsukune, this field is full of man-eating plants! We have to get out of here!"

"Right!" Tsukune and Mizore sprinted through the sunflower field towards the others. Mizore summoned forth a blast of icy wind, freezing more of the ferocious plant-beasts that lunged out from the foliage, intent on consuming the teenagers.

"H-hey, where the hell do you think you're touching with that vine?" Kurumu screamed in anger before extending her claws and slashing the unfortunate creature.

Meanwhile, Moka, who still had her vampiric powers sealed away, was doing her best to defend herself from the predatory plants, which more or less consisted of kicking any that strayed too close. Despite her sealed powers, she still had above-normal strength on her side. As such, the occasional plant monster could be seen flying into the air before falling to the ground in a motionless heap. Unfortunately, she eventually found herself surrounded by the voracious monsters.

"Aaaah!"

"Moka, hold on!" Tsukune shouted while sprinting to the vampire girl. He charged right into the first plant that managed to pin her down, and struggled to get back up as vines began to grab a hold of him as well.

"Graa-" Tsukune grit his teeth as the vines began cutting through skin. He attempted to pull himself free, but to no avail.

Then it happened.

Mizore was the first to notice the sudden youki that flooded the area. She turned to see several plants burst into messy chunks as Tsukune flung off part of a plant beasts body to the ground. His eyes were now crimson, and his hair was silver.

"He...transformed again."

Tsukune dashed with speed that would have matched Moka in her unsealed form, and sent a fist straight through two of the savage beasts. Moka was eventually freed from her vine-ridden prison, but there were still more plants coming there way.

"Get away from me, you fugly monsters! Yaaaaah!"

Several cards sliced clean through the few monsters that dared attack the witch girl. Yukari prided herself in her card magic, and made sure to give her attackers a thorough presentation on why you shouldn't attack little witches that wield cute, heart-shaped wands.

The results tend to be bad for one's immediate health.

"Waah! Yukari, watch where your flinging those cards!" Kurumu cried out as one of the cards cut a few strands of her hair off, "You almost scalped me right there!"

"Oops, sorry!" Yukari apologized sheepishly as she finished off the last of the plant beasts.

The Newspaper Club now stood amongst a mass of dead plant beasts, a bit haggard and cut up, but otherwise unharmed. Mizore idly kicked a frozen chunk of plant beast as she spoke, "These plant monsters are definitely from the youkai realm..." She chewed on her sucker stick before pulling it out of her mouth and letting out a thoughtful hum, "I've never seen anything like these before, though."

Kurumu shook some of the excess plant guts off her hands while her nails retracted, "I was thinking the same thing. It's like someone just used some witchcraft on some plants and-oh, Yukari, I didn't mean to..." The Succubus sighed as Yukari stormed off, "Yukari-chan, I didn't mean to say it was witches that did it!" The Succubus followed after the witch while calling her name.

"I bet that this is the reason why she was against coming to the human world." Moka murmured as she attempted to fix her skirt, "Yukari-chan's had to deal with problems at school, and she probably thinks that humans are just as bad."

"Well, I'm sure if someone actually got to know Yukari, they'd see that she's a really nice girl. I mean, I'm human, and I think she's alright."

The pink haired vampiress turned to Tsukune, who had regressed back to his normal state, and smiled, "That's right, Tsukune...but..." She waved a hand towards the dead plant creatures, "...I'm still curious as to why we have these monsters in the human realm. If not witches, than what made them?"

"Something definitely brought these here...or created them artificially." Mizore said while poking at one of odd beasts with a stick she had found, "I wish Naruto was here."

"We'll be alright." Moka said, attempting to quell the Yuki-onna's insecurities. She then turned to face the boy, "Tsukune...are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh...y-yeah, I'm fine. A little winded, but that's it." He flexed his fingers a bit, "I guess your blood's still running through me."

Moka gave no reply, but a small frown was now present on her features. This was the second time he had transformed, but this time it was as though he had willed the power to surface. It worried her. She made a mental note to keep a closer eye on the human boy.

Meanwhile, Kurumu was attempting to catch up with the young witch. She eventually reached the edge of a nearby woods, and saw a flash of yellow from the girl's bow tie.

"Yukari..."

"Go away!"

Kurumu sighed inwardly. The poor girl was intelligent, but she was still only eleven years old. As such, she tended to behave rather stubbornly from time to time, which was rather typical for a girl her age.

"Yukari-chan, I'm sorry for saying those things. They...slipped, I guess." She shook her head, "Okay, I'll admit that I've had my own impressions about witches too, but I've learned that it's not fair to think that way." She slowly knelt down by the crying witch, who was huddled against a tree trunk, "I can't imagine how hard it must be for you, being in the human world."

Yukari's slightly puffy eyes looked to the Succubus, "It sucks."

Kurumu bit down a laugh; despite how upset Yukari was, she still managed to look adorable, "Well, you know what?"

A sniffle, "What?"

"I think if we give this place a shot, we can learn to like the human world. There was an ice cream shoppe down the road, and if you want, I'll treat you."

"Huh? Why?"

Kurumu grinned, "We're friends. I don't want you feeling alone and scared when we're supposed to be on a break."

Yukari's lips trembled a bit before she began crying with renewed vigor, glomping the Succubus around her bosom. Kurumu, while slightly embarrassed, smiled and hugged her friend back.

A few moments passed before Yukari eventually calmed down, "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it." Kurumu laughed, "So, you feel better now?"

"Mmhmm." Yukari smiled, "Sorry for being such a drama queen to you guys."

"For once, I think I can give you a pass on that. You've got your reasons, after all." She helped the little witch to her feet, "You ready to get back with the others?"

"Yeah...thanks, Kurumu."

"Don't worry about it."

As the two headed back towards the other Newspaper Club members, a single pair of violet colored eyes watched the young witch's back from the cover of the forest nearby.

"...I've finally found another one like us..."

~o~o~o~o~o~

It had been two days since Naruto had started his Sage training. While his start had been rather rocky, he had managed to grasp the feel of nature chakra, and was able to gather it on his own by the beginning of the third day.

Now Naruto was currently balancing on a tile that was in turn situated on a protruding spike of earth. He was the perfect image of calm, and if one took his vitals, they would have been amazed to see how slow his heart rate and breathing were.

"Heeey, Naruto! Dinner's ready!"

"Yaaaah!"

Naruto plummeted to the ground, breaking several of the earthen spikes upon landing. He grumbled in annoyance before dusting himself off, "Thanks, Gamakichi."

"Hey, not my fault. You're the one harnessing nature's chakra. You should have sensed me much earlier."

"...fair enough." Naruto slipped his mesh shirt back on, and looked up to the toad.

Naruto's eyes were currently yellow irises with horizontal pupils. Aside from that, the only other noticeable change in his features was the dark orange pigmentation surrounding his eyes.

They were the marks of a true Sage. Well, at least a Sage that had overcome the need for oil. However, the fact was that he had sustained little, if any damage. After plummeting off a towering, spiked projection of earth and crashing into several smaller ones, Naruto looked relatively unharmed. This was another benefit of Sage Mode; greatly enhanced durability and strength.

"Good thing you were in Sage Mode, huh?" Gamakichi laughed, "Otherwise you'd be dead! Hahaha...oi, I was only kidding, Naruto."

The blond's withering glare lessened, "So, what's on the menu today?"

"Bettle grubs and bee larvae. Nothing fancy."

"Great. Maybe I'll be able to keep most of it down tonight." The blond grumbled as he walked towards the toad elders' home.

After forcing the various insect larvae down his throat, Naruto excused himself to continue training, even after numerous objections from both Fukasaku and his wife, Shima. He had to get stronger so he'd be able to not only defeat Akatsuki when that time came, but also stop any further problems from happening at Youkai. He doubted he'd need to go as far as Sage Mode against most of the dangers he would face at the school, but it was always better to assume that there was a super powerful monster among the numerous weaker ones.

It was nearly midnight when Naruto decided to call it a night. He took in a few deep breaths, smiling as he plopped down on the grassy fields of the Toads' realm. His technique, the Rasenshuriken, was still incomplete, and far from perfect, but he had finally managed to get the base results of what he had been hoping for.

The wind-based jutsu was a destructive one, that couldn't be denied. However, its one major drawback—which it shared with the Rasengan, it's parent jutsu—was that it was short ranged. He had been working on changing that. Tonight had proven that it could be done.

He didn't initially think he'd have enough control to throw the disc of high-powered wind chakra, let alone maintain it with just a single clone, but he had done it. Senjutsu chakra was used to encase the technique, and he had somehow managed to pump the jutsu with both wind chakra as well as his own natural chakra. The single clone he summoned was used to help shape the technique. He had improved by leaps and bounds since the last time he had used the technique. That and with the addition of the wind jutsu being thrown, he took out the factor of receiving damage as well.

"It's going to take a bit more work, but we've got it down to a few simple things that need to be tweaked." Naruto's clone said, "We should get to sleep, though. Fukasaku's going to be waking us up right around sunrise."

"Good point." Naruto dispelled his clone before stretching his arms out and yawning. He then retired to the cot he had placed on the ground nearby.

Two amphibian eyes watched the boy as he dozed off to a peaceful sleep, "You were right about him, Jiraiya-chan...he truly is the Child of the Prophecy..."

"Do you believe that, Fukasaku-sama?"

Fukasaku looked behind him before chuckling to the newcomer, "Tenmei Mikogami, am I correct?"

The Headmaster of Youkai Academy gave a bow to the toad, "I'm honored that my name has reached this far. I assume Jiraiya had informed you about me?"

"Mm. Yes, Jiraiya-chan mentioned that a man with an unnatural aura would likely see me in the case of him dying. He said you'd be able to provide Naruto-chan with a safe haven, which it seems you've managed to do. Thank you."

Mikogami gave a nod, "Jiraiya was a truly gifted man, and he helped me in developing some of my sealing skills. In fact, if it weren't for him, I'm certain that I wouldn't be able to maintain Youkai Academy as well as I am."

Fukasaku smiled a bit at the mention of Jiraiya's teachings helping the mysterious man. The toad then turned back to the Jinchuuriki boy, "He hasn't really shared much about his time at Youkai. I hope he's doing alright there."

Mikogami laughed quietly, "The boy's more gifted than I had assumed a student of Jiraiya would be. He's become a vigilante for Youkai, and has been making the place safer for students as a result."

"Vigilante?"

"Yes. He goes by the alias 'Arashi-Ninja', and as far as I can tell, he's a sort of hero to the vast majority of students. That and he's managed to make friends with some of the more powerful students in his class, among them being a daughter of the Shuzen family."

Fukasaku's eyebrows rose slightly, "Vampires?" He shook his head, "That boy...I wonder if he'll cease to amaze me. I hardly know him, yet I feel like he can truly change the world."

"Not to add pressure to that statement, but he may very well do that for our world. Humans for the most part don't know of our existence, but relations between our kind and theirs are rarely friendly. Naruto's human, but his personality and ability to befriend almost anyone he meets may be needed in the years to come if monsters and humans wish to try and coexist."

Fukasaku frowned a bit at that, "You don't plan on using the boy, I hope."

"Of course not. Although, if he continues to work his miracles the way he does, I may have to start helping the boy for his own safety. Rumors have already spread to the outer world about a young ninja with skills unseen in ages. The Wong family has been asking me questions lately, and I'm afraid I'll only be able to keep my old friend Fuhai from looking into the matter personally for so long."

"Naruto-chan isn't some hit man, Mikogami."

"I'm well aware of that, Fukasaku. He's too kind of a person, which is a bit of an enigma, seeing that he's been raised in a society of ninja."

"He's only a child."

"So was Jiraiya." Mikogami stated, "Yet I saw him kill vampires on his own without flinching when he was Naruto's age." The Exorcist took a few steps forward so he was beside the elderly toad, "Jiraiya didn't notice it when he had first fought them, but we had run into a large group of ninja from what I believe is currently known as Kusagakure. I had been with him at the time, traveling and learning a little about his world. While I _was_ able to fight, Jiraiya had taken care of most of them. I noticed that a few of the ninja attacking us were giving off the youki of vampires. After that incident, I was convinced that the humans of his world and the humans of the other world are not exactly the same. Hardly any humans from the world bordering Youkai would be able to do what the ninja of the Elemental Nations can do, let alone fight vampires on nearly equal grounds."

"What?" Fukasaku repeated, "Vampires? How?"

Mikogami smiled eerily, "Jiraiya and I weren't the only ones that had knowledge of the Elemental Nations' existence. Some monsters sought a new life for one reason or another, and joined ninja villages, claiming their powers to be one kekkai genkai or another. In some instances, this actually was the truth; a few ninja and monsters knowingly married one another, and raised children with exceptional skills."

"Perhaps, but none of these cases were extraordinary. Most of these inherited powers resulted in sensors, Genjutsu masters, or ninja with rapid healing powers."

"Yes. I'll be the first to admit that the Sharingan and Byakugan, while powerful, were not among the bloodlines that can be traced back to a monster parent. Though, there were a few half-monster children who gained these powers." Mikogami sighed, "If only the human world paralleling mine was as accepting of youkai as the Elemental Nations."

Fukasaku gave a nod, "Perhaps that day will come soon. For now, though, Naruto's focus is on keeping himself alive and training so that he can defeat Akatsuki."

"Of course; I'd be worried if he were slacking in his training when such a large threat is existent to him and the ninja world. I just hope he doesn't get sucked into any other problems in the meantime. If he angers the wrong people, he could have a bounty on his head."

The two were silent for a few moments before the toad spoke, "Naruto's coming along nicely with his Senjutsu training. He'll be done by the end of the week if he continues at this rate. Afterwards, he mentioned wanting to go to Japan and visiting his new family."

"Ah, that's right, Kakashi Hatake's his legal guardian now. Yes, I suppose it'd be best to let the boy visit his family. Does he know how to travel between bordering worlds yet?"

"He mentioned in passing that he has the Fuuinjutsu seals memorized for traveling between worlds, but he hasn't gotten much of a chance to use them. I'll make sure he knows what he's doing before we leave, and worse case scenario we'll send a toad to your office and you can get a portal open for us to use."

"Very well. So, if I don't hear from you sooner, I guess I'll see Naruto in two weeks' time then."

The two gave a respective bow to each other, and Mikogami began walking towards the grassy field before vanishing in a sudden burst of light.

Fukasaku remained for a few moments longer before deciding to head back to his home for some sleep as well. He gave one final glance to the sleeping blond before grinning to himself, "I guess I'll go easy on the boy and wake him up an hour later tomorrow."

Another three days had passed, and Fukasaku had deemed Naruto adept enough to use Senjutsu outside of Mount Myouboku. The blond was now standing over a seal he had engraved into the dirt, looking at it with a scrutinizing eye.

"I...I think it's going to work..." the blond said to himself with a hint of uncertainty, "I mean, I'm not a Seal Master, but the design looks logical enough."

"That's good, because that's exactly how it should look."

Naruto whirled around to see Fukasaku and Shima heading towards him, "Oh, hey, Fukasaku, Shima." He turned back to the seal, "So, you think it's ready then?"

Fukasaku looked over the seal a bit before nodding, "I think you doubt yourself a bit much, Naruto-chan. You're understanding of seals is evident with this one right here. Now, all you need to do is go through the proper chakra channeling and you'll be in Japan before you know it."

"Hm. I...I guess this is goodbye. At least for a little while."

Shima had a small bundle in her hands, "Here, Naruto-chan. It's not much, but we figured that you'd appreciate it."

The blond took the bundle from Shima before unwrapping it from the cloth containing it. He let out a small gasp as he looked at it's contents, "I-is this...?"

"Yep. One of the few remaining ones." Fukasaku replied.

There, in Naruto's hands, was a three-pronged kunai, best noted for its use in the Fourth Hokage's Hiraishin no Jutsu. The blond gripped it tightly and gave a stifled laugh, "Wow...how did you find this?"

"Oh, Minato-chan was such a nice boy. He told us that if anything ever happened, all we would need to do is throw this kunai and it would signal to him to warp to our location. We never needed to use it, thankfully, but we kept it around anyway." Shima answered, "Although, it was mostly thanks to your mother, Kushina, that he was able to master this technique. We know you probably have an inventory of your parents' techniques in one of those scrolls from Jiraiya-chan and Tsunade, but it would be nice for you to actually have a kunai to hold onto just in case you need an example to look off of when you apply your own style to the technique."

Naruto grinned before pocketing the kunai, "Thank you. I promise to stop by again. Maybe I can bring my friends here next time?"

Fukasaku and Shima looked to each other before smiling, "I don't see why that would be a problem. It wouldn't be the first time monsters have come into contact with us."

Naruto blinked, but decided not to question further, "Well, I better get going. Take care."

"Be good now! Make sure to eat your veggies! You won't grow any stronger if you don't!"

"Bah, Ma, you're embarrassing the boy!"

"I'm just telling him what's good for him. The boy's eating alright, but he hardly touched his grub-stew two nights ago when-"

Naruto smiled while going through the hand seals as he stepped into the seal. He felt a brief pull on his chest before his vision went white. It was like he was gliding through the air, like a bird would in a powerful gust of air.

Then, he felt his feet touch ground once more. He blinked several times to adjust his eyes before taking in his surroundings. He tapped his sandaled feet on what appeared to be on a paved walkway of sorts. To the left of the walkway was a road made of black, gravel like material with two yellow lines running down the middle. There were a few small houses every so many yards lining either side of the road, but the area itself seemed to be rather sparse in human activity at the moment.

After a few minutes of looking at the houses, he finally figured out which direction to take to find Kakashi, Sakura, and Sai. He eventually found himself standing in front of a quaint little two story building with the oddest sign in the front yard depicting a wild haired man who reminded Naruto strangely of Jiraiya.

"Huh..." Naruto looked at the paper slip with the address in his hands, then to the sign, "Well, I do approve of the name.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Ninja Oddities was what one would consider to be an atypical local business that was just starting up. The residents knew only a few things about it. It sold comics, manga, anime, art kits, off-the-counter medicine, natural herbs, and, strangely enough, guitars, among numerous other 'oddities'. The owner was a man that many believed at first to be a former biker gang member, but this was later proven false when his lovely employee explained that he had suffered from a chemical burn accident back in his high school days in chemistry, and wore the mask as a safety precaution.

Another well-known fact in the community, namely among the teenage boys, was that the 'adult' section in the store was strictly prohibited to minors. No exceptions.

"Hehehehe..."

"I believe I told you three just the other day that minors are _not_ allowed back here."

Three boys froze in place before turning around and looking into the emerald eyes of Sakura Haruno.

"S-Sakura-san! Wha-what are you doing here?"

"I work here." Sakura replied sweetly, "Now, why don't you put down that smutty magazine before I break the hand holding it?"

"You can't do-"

Sakura took a nearby kendo stick on sale and snapped it between her index and middle finger, "Don't test me. I didn't get my coffee this morning."

The three boys bolted out of the shop, the magazines falling to the ground as they exited the doors. Sakura sighed as she picked up the magazine (and paged through it a bit) before setting it back on the shelf.

"Mah, Sakura, I can't afford to have my customers scared off like that."

Sakura rolled her eyes before turning to face Kakashi, "Please, like they would have bought anything here."

"Well, they'll be great future clients for me when they're old enough." the masked ninja defended, "Besides, you're supposed to be my sweet and cheery cashier, remember?"

"If you actually helped out with running this place, maybe I would be."

"Hey, hey, I'm the manager. I have to take care of the numbers, remember?"

"You mean sit in your office and read the manuscripts Naruto sends you for Icha Icha?"

"If you mean the very same ones you keep stealing and looking over as well, then yes." Kakashi replied with a smile, "So, how are things going so far?"

Failing to hide the blush on her face, Sakura turned her attention to the counter, "Well, Tamiko-obaa-san came in and got her newspaper for the day...uh..." Sakura looked around as though trying to recall something before nodding, "Oh, that one guy came in asking if you got the um...Gibson Les Paul...yeah, that one guitar...he was wondering when that would be in by."

"Oh, you mean, Kichirou? Tell him that he can stop by next week Thursday for it if you see him again. It should be here by then."

"Okay. It's been a slow day, so not much else has happened."

Sakura walked over to the rack of DVDs, limping slightly while leaning on her cane as she did so. Kakashi couldn't help but wince as he watched her move. She had recovered stupendously according to what the doctors had told him, and he had been elated when they said she had almost seventy-nine percent of her mobility back. However, that missing twenty-one percent meant she would probably never be able to run quite as fast as she used to—so she'd probably only have the speed of an experienced Genin or rookie Chuunin at best. Still, her chakra control was as great as it had ever been, and her attitude had improved greatly since she regained her ability to walk.

She wouldn't need the cane permanently, but for now it was more for support than anything else. Besides, she enjoyed having an extra bit of metal in her hands when Kakashi was giggling too loudly while reading his books.

The sound of bells jingling alerted the two that a customer had entered the building. Sakura immediately put on a smile, putting on her 'cheery employee' face, "Hello! Welcome to Ninja Oddi..."

There, in the doorway, stood Naruto, that all-too-familiar grin on his face as he gave a wave, "Hi, Sakura-chan."

Sakura blinked once before her lips broke into a true smile, "Naruto-kun!"

The blond was tackled to the ground and felt to two slim yet powerful arms wrap around his torso, "H-hey, Sakura-chan, heheh. It's good to see you, too."

Sakura laughed a bit, blushing slightly while getting off of her teammate and adoptive brother, "Sorry, heh. I was...just hoping you'd show up." She slowly got to her feet before helping the blond up, "Did you get here alright?"

"Yeah, the warping seals were a lot simpler to use than I thought." Naruto replied before turning to Kakashi, "Hey, Kakashi. Glad to see the business is up and running...although...Sakura-chan, I thought you were working at a comic book store or something."

Sakura sighed, "That was my initial plan, but they decided to not hire me after I claimed I had no real knowledge in comics, and that my organizational skills alone weren't enough for the job. So, Kakashi decided to expand our store to cover...well..." She waved a hand around the store to fill in her silence.

"A little bit of everything. Our motto is 'We got it all, and more.', so we figured we may as well stick to it. I'm even thinking of opening a small grocery section if things start picking up. Nothing perishable, of course."

Sakura shook her head, "Kakashi, we shouldn't be jumping too far ahead of ourselves right now. We're already a music, book, and health products store. Why don't we wait a bit?"

The silver haired Jounin gave a shrug, "Fair enough. We're co-owners, after all."

Naruto followed the two to the back of the store after Kakashi placed the 'closed' sign on the door. There was a small room which appeared to be the office, as well as a storage room that was about as large as Naruto's current dorm room back in Youkai. He saw a flight of stairs leading up to the second floor, which he assumed to be their bedrooms.

"So, where's Sai?"

"Ah, well, you'll be happy to know that Sai is taking graphic art classes at the public library. One of the colleges in town offers classes four times a week for four months, and Sai figured it would be worth looking into." Kakashi laughed, "Needless to say, he's picked up on it quickly. He's got a real talent."

"Really? That's great!" Naruto beamed, "So, anything else big that I should know about?"

"Well...let's see..." Sakura nudged Kakashi in the ribs gently, and he looked to her before she gave him a look, "Oh! Right, Naruto, stay right there."

Kakashi walked up the steps without another word. Naruto gave Sakura an inquisitive look, but she merely grinned and made a zipping motion over her lips, causing the blond to pout.

"Sorry, Naruto-kun, my lips are sealed."

The blond raised an eyebrow, "What's with you calling me that, Sakura?"

"Hm?"

"You've been calling me Naruto-_kun_ since I arrived. You never used to call me that. What's up?"

Sakura looked away momentarily while clearing her throat and stammering, "W-well...you're my younger brother, and it's only proper that I refer to you as such. Calling you Naruto-niichan is a bit much, though."

"Heheh, yeah, I guess that's true." Naruto scratched the back of his neck, "I guess it's a little odd coming from you, but...I kind of like hearing it."

Sakura could only smile while her cheeks reddened further.

"So...are you guys doing alright with money?"

Sakura blinked before smiling, "Yes, we're doing fine, Naruto."

"You sure? I've got enough, and Youkai can convert it over to yen really easily so that I can send-"

Sakura placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Naruto, I promise you that we're doing fine. We're a small business, but we're living a rather frugal lifestyle. The town has a recycling system, and we don't waste a lot of food or products that we buy, either. Kakashi's thinking of having these weird panel things installed on our roof someday soon. They would use the sun to power our house. The weather here's really nice, and it can help us save money on our energy bill, too."

"...okay...just know that if you three ever need money for-"

Sakura gave Naruto a light conk on the head with the cane in her hand, trying more to quiet him down that actually hurt him, "Baka, enough. You already have that book of yours in the works so we can be set for the future when it's published. That action by itself is enough in my opinion, especially since you're the one in school right now."

"What about you, Sakura-chan? Are you going to attend any school?"

"I could, if I really wanted. Truth is, I was informed back in Youkai by one of the nurses that I was more than qualified to be a private practitioner of medicine and physical therapy if I really wished to. Someday I may do that, but for now, I think I'm enjoying this quiet life."

Naruto could understand where she was coming from. Being a ninja forced you to always have the mentality that something bad could happen. Even with the less dangerous life they were both leading, they still had that bit of alertness to them. Sakura noticed Naruto had his kunai holster around his right leg, and the blond saw that Sakura had several senbon needles hiding within the sleeves of the civilian shirt she wore. He also noticed she had a pouch around the back of her waist that he recognized as her medicine pack.

_"Some things never change,"_ Naruto thought to himself.

Kakashi eventually came back down the steps, holding a medium-sized package wrapped in paper of some sort. The item, whatever it was, appeared to be long and clearly larger on one end. The way Kakashi was smiling meant that either it was something perverted, or that he had bought the gift hoping Naruto liked it. It could even be both.

"I figured you'd like this. It's nothing fancy, but Sakura, Sai, and I all thought that you'd enjoy it."

Naruto took the package, holding it by the slimmer end. He felt it and his eyes widened, "You...you got me...?"

"Don't say anything until you open it." Sakura laughed, "Now go on and open it already!"

Naruto tore away the paper, and his breath caught as he held the object within his hands.

"Y-you guys...got me a mandolin?"

Naruto had seen one back when he had journeyed with Jiraiya across the Elemental Nations. They had briefly traveled along the coast near Lightning Country, and he had seen a man playing it at a pub. The instrument had a sound that could be light and upbeat, but at the same time romantic and beautiful to the ears. He had secretly wanted one since laying eyes upon it, but never got the chance.

"How...how did you guys...?"

"I remember you telling me about them once. We looked on the Internet, and ran across a site that sold stringed instruments." Sakura said with a grin, clearly pleased with Naruto's reaction, "So, now you can start playing it and wooing the girls back at Youkai with your amazing skills, heheh."

Naruto felt his throat tighten, "You didn't have to get me anything."

Kakashi ruffled Naruto's hair, "Sure we do. It's almost your birthday, after all."

Naruto's eyes widened before he opened his mouth, "O-oh yeah. Huh...I almost forgot."

Sakura and Kakashi said nothing about that, instead urging Naruto to play. The blond strummed a hand over the strings, wincing a bit at how off-tune they were. He tweaked the tightness of the strings a bit, and in a few minutes had what he believed to be a slightly better sound.

"I can probably find lessons on how to play it on a website or a book. Not sure how good I can get, but it's still a great gift!"

"Glad you like it, Naruto." Sakura said, "Besides, you can use your Shadow Clones to learn faster, can't you?"

"Huh. Yeah, I guess I can. Well, no, I only have one mandolin."

"Not necessarily." Kakashi took the mandolin from Naruto with one hand. He studied the wooden instrument for several moments before nodding while making seals with his free hand, "_**Mandolin Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**_!"

Kakashi's was now holding a perfect replica of the mandolin in his other hand. He handed the copy to Naruto and nodded for him to play. Naruto slowly ran a hand over the strings, which created the same sound as his original did.

"Awesome! Haha! This is great!" Naruto made a Shadow Clone, and handed it the cloned mandolin before telling him to go practice on the roof of the house for two hours to get familiar with the instrument.

"Typical Naruto." Sakura said with a laugh.

Naruto could only scratch his head and chuckle.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~

"Yukari! Where are you?"

"Yukari!"

The Newspaper Club was currently running down one of the streets of the town near Witch's Ranch. They had been making their way back to the hotel that their group was staying at when a flock of ravens had appeared out of nowhere and began attacking them. In the midst of the chaos, Yukari had gone missing. As soon as the group had lost her, the black feathered birds flew off.

Mizore and Kurumu had split off in one direction while Moka and Tsukune had gone off in another. After a half hour of searching, they came back to the spot where the incident had occurred with no luck in finding the young witch.

"She couldn't have gone too far, right?" Kurumu said uncertainly, "I mean, she was _right next to us_..."

Tsukune sighed, "I don't think she would intentionally run off on us, especially in a human city."

Mizore chewed on her sucker stick while looking up to the sky, "Those ravens were behaving weird. Why would wild animals randomly attack us in a city? I could understand if we were near a nest of theirs, but...I don't see any signs of that around here."

Moka held up a feather from one of the ravens that had attacked, "We tried following a trail of feathers, but they only brought us a few blocks west of here. As far as we can guess, they could be anywhere."

"Do you...do you think they were a distraction someone was using to get Yukari?"

The group looked to Mizore before Tsukune spoke, "What do you mean?"

"Well...maybe someone was controlling those birds. That, or maybe those birds were just an illusion." She took the feather from Moka and twirled it between her fingers, "Hm...never mind, I think they were real. If this were an illusion, I imagine it would have vanished shortly after those birds flew off."

"We should get in contact with Nekonome-sensei. She can help us." Moka suggested. The group agreed with the vampire girl's thinking, and made their way back to the hotel, hoping to find a way to locate the youngest member of their group of friends.

~o~o~o~o~o~

Sai was quite surprised when he found Naruto and Sakura cooking in the kitchen when he got home from his classes. He and the blond exchanged greetings, Sai commenting on how Naruto seemed to be carrying himself differently, though he couldn't pinpoint the change. Naruto just laughed and said he was still the same guy that belonged to Team Kakashi, and returned to helping Sakura prepare dinner.

The four sat down at the small table in their small dining room, enjoying a simple meal of udon and chicken tempura. About half way through the meal, the phone rang.

"Hm." Kakashi looked to the clock, "Who would call at this hour of the day?" He got up from his spot at the table and answered the phone, "Hatake residence...yes, this is him...ah, Mikogami-san, good to hear from- I'm sorry? Yukari...hm...I don't know if I met her in person, but go on...really? Today?" Kakashi's face hardened slightly behind his mask, "Are they alright? Good...yes...how far away? Okay...that would take us about...an hour at most on foot...mmhmm...yes...sure, I should be able to find that place...I'm sure they'll be willing to help...yes, he's here...alright, thank you. Yep, have a good evening, Mikogami-san." Kakashi hung up the phone before turning to his three adoptive children, "Alright, you three. Looks like Team Kakashi's got their first mission request in Japan."

Naruto had been listening, and he didn't like the sound of Kakashi's voice, "What's wrong with Yukari?"

"I'll explain on the way, but from what I can understand, she's gone missing."

"Missing?" Sakura set down her chopsticks, "When?"

"Some time earlier today. Mikogami got a call from Shizuka Nekonome just a few moments ago. We've been asked on behalf of Youkai Academy to assist the Newspaper Club in finding Yukari Sendo."

"How far away are they?" Sai inquired.

"About an hour's sprint southwest of us." Kakashi replied, "We'll have to go on foot, seeing as I don't have a car or a license yet."

"What if someone sees us while we're leaping over buildings and trees?" Sakura asked.

"Mikogami stated that a mild Genjutsu should be enough for us to keep ourselves concealed from human eyes." Kakashi looked to the dinner, "I guess we'll just have to wait to finish this meal later. Sai, want to help me put the leftovers in the fridge?"

The four had cleaned the dining area, dressed into more fitting attire for the task at hand, and were now standing outside the entrance to Ninja Oddities, "Alright, Team. Mikogami informed me that Yukari's likely at a place called Witch's Ranch. It's a small area outside of the town where the Newspaper Club is currently located."

"What dangers are there with this mission?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi nodded, "Not much is known about the place, but it's rumored that there is indeed at least one witch residing in a small house on top of a hill. The area is surrounded by a sunflower field. To make matters worse, this sunflower field is believed to be home to hundreds of man-eating plants."

Naruto blinked, "Man-eating plants?"

Kakashi shrugged, "I just report what I hear."

"...I should be more bothered by this..." Naruto grumbled as he adjusted the arm guards on his ANBU outfit, "Let's get moving."

Kakashi gave one final nod to the group, who returned it in kind.

"Right. Team Kakashi, move out!"

The four burst off the ground, leaping on into the dwindling sunset.

~o~o~o~o~o~

**Youkai Academy Student Newspaper**  
_For the Students, by the Students._

_Revisiting the Masked Vigilante- A Second Interview with the Arashi-Ninja_

_By Mizore Shirayuki_

I had never expected that the Arashi-Ninja would appear to me on my way back from club late one evening, asking if I'd be interested in a second interview with him. Of course I was happy to oblige. Since the fiasco with the Student Police and the removal of the vast majority of its officers by the Academy, I was curious as to what further things the young ninja was willing to talk to me about. His powers that he demonstrated, which I witnessed personally, during his fight against Kuyou of the Student Police, were overwhelming.

**Student News:** Hello, Ninja-san. It's wonderful to speak to you again so soon.

**Arashi-Ninja: **Thank you, Mizore-san. The pleasure is mine.

**SN:** I suppose I'll cut right to the chase; what prompted you to take on Kuyou and the Public Safety Committee?

**A:** Well, they were abusing their power, and I've heard plenty of rumors fly about what they do to students here in Youkai.

**SN:** I see. So this wasn't a spur of the moment decision for you, then?

**A:** Well, I planned on looking further into the matter. Turns out I didn't have to dig to hard to find something to give me reason to take action. That's all.

**SN:** I must admit, you really showed some amazing abilities in that fight against Kuyou. On behalf of the Student Newspaper, I want to thank you for rescuing our members, as well as liberating the many students being wrongfully imprisoned.

**A:** _(laughs)_ No need to thank me. I'm happy to just be helping the students feel safer while attending Youkai Academy.

**SN:** How did you go about gaining these abilities?

**A:** All I can say is that my power is something that require years and years of hard work to obtain. I don't believe in half-ass work, and I apply that belief to my training.

**SN:** Do you mind sharing a little bit of information on your powers?

**A:** I'm afraid I'll have to decline sharing that information.

**SN:** Understandable. I respect your wish to keep that a secret.

**A:** Thank you.

**SN:** Do you mind if I ask you a more personal question, Ninja-san?

**A:** You may, but I might not answer it.

**SN:** Very well. So, my question is this: Are you single?

**A:** _(laughs)_ No comment.

**SN:** Not even a yes or no?

**A:** No comment.

**SN:** I should inform you that students of both sexes have requested that I ask this question if I should meet you again. You've become quite a desirable catch.

**A:** Really? Well, I suppose I'll leave your question a mystery, then. Makes me more attractive, wouldn't you agree?

**SN:** Yes, I would agree with that.

**A: **Good. That means I'm doing something right, then.

**SN: **Yes, I can't argue with that, either.

I was unable to ask any more questions to the ninja-vigilante, seeing as he had to continue his patrol of the campus grounds. He asked that I tell all students that he greatly appreciates the support from the student body. He will continue to do all that he can to insure our safety, and warns any who wish to cause trouble that they should think twice before committing any crimes.

With that, I'd also like to extend a personal thanks to the students who continue to give this selfless individual, whoever he is, their support. It's because of all of you that the Arashi-Ninja continues to protect us when the need arises.

On a final note, the new Student Police Committee will be forming this coming semester. There will be thorough background checks on all members, and selections will be made based on the judgment of faculty and student government. If any are interested in keeping our campus safe, please submit applications. Self-defense experience, while helpful, is not required, and training will be given to all who are chosen. Please submit entries before the end of December. Thank you!

~o~o~o~o~o~

**End of Chapter Ten: Phew, this took longer to get done than I had initially thought it would. Story of my life, I guess. Yeah, I skipped a lot of Naruto's Sage Training, but I figured enough of you fine readers are familiar with Naruto's Senjutsu training. If not, well, Narutopedia can help explain the details.**

**Next, I'd like to thank all of you who have been reviewing this story here. The support helps more than you may think. My update speed is slower than other authors on this site, I won't argue that. College unfortunately limits the time I can dedicate to fanfiction. Though, I will admit that my Creative Writing minor has helped me with writing a LOT. So, to all of you have stuck with me through this story (as previous works), I sincerely thank you.**

**Lastly, I would (once again) like to thank my equally skilled, if not more so, beta-reader and fellow brainstormer, Paradox Jast. The guy's definitely patient when it comes with me and my updating speed, though I suppose we're both professional procrastinators in nature. Needless to say, he's helped me really flesh out some of the aspects of this story, as well as other works. In short, he rocks.**

**Hmm, I suppose I could answer a few quick questions and comments:**

**As for me killing off Konoha ninja like Shikamaru and Hinata, and destroying Konoha...well, let's face it. If Naruto had not been there, Pain would have won that battle. Don't get me wrong; Shikamaru and Hinata are both great ninja...but the ninja world doesn't work on such terms all the time. Good ninja die. Simple as that. I'll be revisiting the Elemental Countries soon, and show the reaction the other villages are giving to the destruction of Hidden Leaf.**

**As for pairings, I guess Naruto and Mizore is a blatant one. As for other pairings...well, you'll have to wait and see.**

**As for Tsukune and his transformation, I'm putting a twist on it. He's not a ghoul, but he's also not a true vampire.**

**Oh, and yes, that song Naruto sang in chapter 10 was from Trigun. Guess I made it a little obvious. Oh well, it's a good anime as well, and the song makes me chuckle. Creepy, huh?**

**Okay, enough of my rambling for now. Thanks for reading, as always, and keep your eyes open for a future update!**


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